Police integrity cannot be compromised

UPHOLDERS of the law are always viewed in a different and more critical light.

To whom much responsibility is given, much is required.

So we expect our men and women in blue to stand in honesty and with integrity. They are supposed to protect the public and eradicate criminal elements within society.

Therefore, when a small minority of police officers do tarnish the image of the badge, it must be dealt with effectively, sending out a strong message to other corrupt and would-be offenders.

Last month the Zululand Observer published an article about the Crime Intelligence Empangeni unit who swooped on a Richards Bay warrant officer at KwaMbonambi who was smuggling more than 70 000 illegal Zimbabwean cigarettes in a police van.

The stash, comprising Pacific Blue cigarettes to the street value of more than R100 000 was being transported from eManguzi to Durban.

The breakthrough was said to be part of a bigger syndicate involved in the smuggling of cigarettes from the Mozambican border into KZN and the officer in question had been closely monitored for almost a year.

It is estimated that SA’s trade in illegal cigarettes has doubled over three years, making up more than 25% of the total cigarette market.

Illicit cigarette sales negatively influence the economy, the prime factor being the evasion of taxes on brands imported or manufactured in South Africa.

Some 19 million illegal cigarettes, equivalent to 950 000 packets of 20s, are sold locally every day.

Legitimate retailers lose more than R500-million annually while legitimate job creation and economic development goes up in smoke. The legal tobacco industry loses more than R2-billion annually to the trade in illegal cigarettes.

So it is ironic to note that less than a month after the breakthrough arrest, the police officer in question was released on R2 000 bail, not placed on precautionary suspension pending the outcome of the case and allowed to resume normal duties.

He is innocent until a court of law proves him guilty, but surely the officer should not be privy to other crime intelligence operations when he is under investigation.

No one is immune to the law, including police officers and a precedent must be set when dealing with implicated guardians of the law.