Chauke said the company confirmed the immediate cessation of training on July 23 and offered to cooperate with the investigations. He confirmed MDSS is registered with the authority and had been accredited to train security grades E to C from 2019.
“A routine inspection was conducted at the accredited facility 11 months ago. The location of the accredited facility is unchanged. However, the investigations discovered a second training facility located 7.5km away from the original accredited facility.”
He said the second training facility is the facility where the 95 Libyans were arrested.
In their preliminary findings, Chauke said they discovered the training camp was never accredited and the duration of the training programmes being conducted took longer than the local security training programme.
“The nature of the training included extensive physical activities with military-styled structures. Investigations also uncovered instructors who are not accredited by the authority at the facility. The trainers used military ranks which further reaffirms the nature of training conducted at the training facility.”
Chauke said no local security grade training was being offered to the Libyans.
He said the design and layout of the infrastructure at he camp supported a military-style training camp.
“There was a contravention of the immigration laws by the owners and the Libyan trainees,” he said.
Chauke said there was no authorisation, agreements and exemptions granted to the company by the national regulator for conventional arms control to provide military training to the Libyans.
Their findings are that the MDSS, its owners and its personnel contravened the code of conduct for private security service providers, he said.
TimesLIVE
Shonisani Tshikalange
www.sowetanlive.co.za
