Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) Head: Announcement
Briefing
20 May 2009
Mr Dramat addressed the media, saying that he was humbled and honoured to lead the fight against organised crime. He thanked Minster Mthethwa and his team for supporting and having confidence in him. [See acceptance address]
Minutes
A: The Minister replied that of 221 special investigators, 137 had indicated that they were prepared to relocate to the DPCI. This clearly proved that an overwhelming majority wanted to move to the DPCI.
Q: The Minister was asked how the new Head of the DPCI was chosen.
A: The Minister explained that the country needed someone that understood organized crime. Mr Dramat was well known for fighting crime and was one of the most successful underground operative workers.
Q: A journalist asked what the current status was on the investigation that German authorities were performing in relation to the arms deal and what the stance was on the Shabir Shaik situation.
A: The media was informed that the new Head of the DPCI, Mr Dramat, was yet to be briefed on these issues and would respond to them at a later stage. The Minister added that the investigation (by the German authorities) had been halted and there was no longer any investigation in progress.
Q: The Minister was asked whether the appointment of a relatively unknown person as the Head of the DPCI would inspire confidence in the country’s security for 2010 FIFA World Cup.
A: Mr Tim Williams, Acting Commissioner of Police, believed that Mr Dramat would add value because of his background in the area of crime intelligence. In addition, he confirmed that the police were happy with the appointment. The Minister stressed that Mr Dramat was very committed to the fight against crime.
The media briefing was concluded.
MEDIA STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF POLICE ON THE APPOINTMENT OF THE HEAD OF THE DIRECTORATE FOR PRIORITY CRIME INVESTIGATION (DPCI), CAPE TOWN, 21st MAY 2009
Greetings to you all!
Today we are witnessing a major step towards the establishment of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI) with the appointment of the Head of the Directorate.
According to Section 17D 1 (a) of the SAPS Amendment Act the functions of the Directorate are to prevent, combat and investigate amongst others, national priority offences, which in the opinion of the Head of the Directorate need to be addressed by the directorate subject to any policy guidelines issued by the Ministerial Committee.
This Directorate will, in particular, focus on serious organized crime, serious commercial crime and serious corruption.
The resources to capacitate this Directorate will be drawn from the ranks of the former DSO special investigators as well as the SAPS' Hi -Tech, Organized Crime and Commercial Crime detectives.
In order to ensure that the unit is staffed by highly skilled investigators who are of the highest moral fibre, stringent selection and vetting procedures have been put in place and are currently being implemented.
Prospective incumbents to the DPCI will undergo a comprehensive selection process, and those that meet the selection criteria will be further subjected to security screening and integrity measures. This will not be a once-off process as there will be an initial Top Secret security clearance requirement as well as ongoing integrity testing which will include random entrapment and testing for the abuse of alcohol or drugs. Polygraph tests will be utilised for this purpose.
The formation of the Directorate will also see a smooth transfer of all current DSO investigations to the new Directorate. Officials of both the SAPS and the DSO have been engaged in an audit of all DSO investigations, assets and resources. We are confident that the transitional measures that have been put in place, as well as the formation of joint operational management teams will guarantee that not a single DSO investigation will be prejudiced by the transfer process.
There are currently a total of 639 cases being investigated by the DSO Head Office and its five regional offices. These cases will be transferred to the Directorate on the fixed date, 01st July 2009, to be announced by the President.
Although the transfer of DSO investigators to the SAPS is a voluntary process, it is encouraging to note that the substantial majority of investigators have opted to transfer to the SAPS. These investigators will be utilised to finalize the investigations that will be transferred to the SAPS.
The President will be advised to proclaim the fixed date for the transfer of powers, investigations, assets, budget and liabilities from the DSO to the SA Police Service as the 1st of July 2009. On that date, the DSO will formally cease to exist and all investigations will then be continued under the auspices of the Head of the Directorate.
We are certain that the establishment of the Directorate will usher in a new chapter in the crime fighting ability of the South African law enforcement agencies. The Directorate will be adopting a multi-disciplinary approach and will draw on the skills and expertise of personnel employed in other government departments and institutions, which include the South African Revenue Service, the Financial Intelligence Centre and the Department of Home Affairs.
The Directorate will also be assisted by a dedicated component of prosecutors made available by the National Prosecuting Authority.
This multi-disciplinary approach will ensure that the Directorate is going to make an impact on the crimes that they will be investigating.
The investigators, who will constitute the Directorate, will be men and women of impeccable integrity, whose credentials will be beyond question.
Fellow South Africans, I am proud to introduce to you the Head of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation.
He has been in command structures of the South African Police Service (SAPS) since 1995, his special expertise is on areas of Crime Intelligence and underground operative work especially within the serious and violent crimes environment. With backup knowledge on Religious Extremism, our new head has been at the centre of crime combating since his arrival within the SAPS. He is currently the Deputy Provincial Commissioner of Police in the
I thank You
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