Parliament – A total of 449 police officials have been fired over the past year for crime, according to Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa.

In written reply to a parliamentary question, he suggested the figure could rise even higher because “many of the criminal matters that occurred since January (this year) may not as yet have been finalised by the NPA and investigators”.

Mthethwa was responding to the question, “What is the total number of police officials who have been found to be involved in criminal activities since January 1, 2013?”.

It was posed by Inkatha Freedom Party MP Velaphi Ndlovu.

According to Mthethwa: “The number of police officers who have been fired as a result of crimes they committed 2012-2013, was 449.”

It is not clear whether Mthethwa was referring to the 2012/13 financial year (from April 1, 2012, to end March this year) or the 2012 calendar year and the current one, to date.

His reply comes after a two-year audit of the police revealed last month that 1448 current police employees had committed crimes.

“The audit established that 1448 members have criminal offences,” Mthethwa said in a statement at the time.

Sapa