South Africa’s top police official, Fannie Masemola, has been suspended by the president after being charged with breaking finance laws

JOHANNESBURG — JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s top police official was suspended by the president on Thursday after he was charged with breaking finance laws related to an allegedly corrupt police contract.

Fannie Masemola appeared in court on Tuesday and was set to return alongside 12 other senior police officers suspected of fraud, corruption and money laundering in connection with the contract, which was allegedly awarded unlawfully to a local company. Charges against Masemola relate to his responsibilities as the accounting officer for the police service.

President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a press briefing on Thursday that he had appointed Puleng Dimpane, the commissioner for financial management services in the police service, as acting police commissioner while Masemola is on trial.

“I have agreed with General Masemola that he be deemed to be on precautionary suspension pending the conclusion of the case,” Ramaphosa said.

His suspension follows wide-ranging allegations of corruption in the country’s criminal justice system that were revealed at a commission of inquiry appointed by Ramaphosa last year.

Masemola faces four counts of violating the Public Finance Management Act, a law that regulates the government’s awarding of contracts, over a 360 million-rand ($21 million) deal to provide health and well-being services to police officers. It is alleged that some of the police officers received bribes from the winning bidders.