Scorpions' shift to SAPS 'may cause distrust'

Scorpions may be intergrated with the SAPS

If the Scorpions report to the South African Police Services (SAPS), it is likely to be perceived as a dilution of the public's power by the ruling ANC, says Jean Redpath, a criminal justice research consultant.

Charles Nqakula, the safety and security minister, told Parliament last week that all policing should be under a single structure. The future of the unit is the subject of a commission of inquiry led by Judge Sisi Khampepe.

Redpath says some submissions to the inquiry have highlighted the fear that public's trust in the institution would be reduced. A survey by the Institute for Security Studies revealed that the public prefers the Scorpions more than the police.

She says the relationship of the Scorpions with prosecutors during investigations will be compromised if there is integration with the police service.

Grounds of justification for the merger were said to be concerns over constitutionality and independence of the prosecutors.

The Khampepe Commission of Inquiry submitted an interim report into the Scorpions to President Thabo Mbeki at the end of July. Its findings remain unknown as disclosure was prohibited without the president's approval.