Riah Phiyega must ensure no “political meddling” following Tony Yengeni's reported arrest, the DA said.
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Cape Town - National police commissioner Riah Phiyega must ensure there is no “political meddling” following the reported arrest of Tony Yengeni for drunk driving, the DA said on Monday.
He was reportedly arrested on Sunday and released on bail on Monday.
Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard recalled in a statement that Yengeni had previously been arrested in 2007 on drunk driving charges while he was out on parole following a fraud conviction.
“The drunk driving case could not go forward because of interference with the blood sample,” she said.
“The station commander at Goodwood, who was involved in the case, was convicted for defeating the ends of justice and Yengeni was allowed to walk free.”
Kohler-Barnard said the DA would be watching the new case closely.
But, reports that Yengeni, who is an ANC national executive committee member, was arrested for drunk driving at the weekend could not be immediately confirmed on Monday.
Western Cape police would only say that a 58-year-old man was arrested on the corner of Somerset and Dixon Roads in Cape Town on Sunday for drunk driving.
Captain Frederick van Wyk said the man was detained at the Cape Town central police station overnight and released on bail on Monday morning.
He could not confirm that the individual arrested was Yengeni.
Beeld reported online on Monday that its Cape Town sister newspaper Die Burger had seen Yengeni leaving police cells in the morning after paying bail of R500.
He was reportedly driving a Maserati when he was arrested. - Sapa