Police Intelligence wasted over R100 million on grabbers and drones which they cannot use and which are now gathering dust in a warehouse.
The Sunday Independent reported that the police spent R111,997,703 to acquire 13 grabbers, 15 surveillance drones, and 12 precise mobile location vehicles.
Citing an Inspector-General of Intelligence report, it said the acquisition had been declared fruitless and wasteful expenditure.
The report further states that a crime intelligence colonel manipulated the bid specifications to favour a British supplier of grabbers.
The grabbers require certificates of exemption from justice minister Ronald Lamola, as it is a criminal offence to have these devices without such a certificate.
Police minister Bheki Cele only requested the certificates nine months after the grabbers were bought. His request was denied.
However, the grabbers were used to monitor journalists and politicians illegally.
The 15 surveillance drones purchased were the wrong specifications, and the police only have two officers with the required licences to fly the drones.
The drones are now sitting in a storage facility.