South Africa’s suspended deputy police chief, Shadrack Sibiya, has resigned amid corruption allegations and charges involving alleged sexual offences.
Sibiya’s lawyers submitted his resignation letter on Monday, the day a disciplinary hearing against him was scheduled to begin.
Police authorities said his departure would be treated as a dishonourable discharge because disciplinary proceedings against him were still ongoing.
Sibiya is currently in prison following his arrest last month over allegations of rape and grooming a minor. He has denied the charges, while his bail application has been postponed until October 13.
Beyond the criminal allegations, the former deputy police chief is also under investigation by a judicial commission probing alleged corruption within the South African police and possible links between police officers and criminal networks.
During testimony before the commission, Sibiya denied allegations that he received large sums of money and gifts from suspected criminals.
He had been suspended from his position since September last year amid the investigations.
His resignation marks a fresh development in the widening probe into alleged corruption within South Africa’s police service, as authorities continue to examine claims of misconduct and links between law enforcement officials and criminal groups.
