A former South Africa deputy police chief facing sexual offense charges is denied bail

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A South African court denied bail on Tuesday to a former deputy police chief facing sexual offense charges, ruling that he remain behind bars pending trial.

The officer, Shadrack Sibiya, resigned from the police service earlier this month following his arrest in September. He is accused of raping an 18-year-old woman, human trafficking and the sexual grooming of a minor.

There are also allegations made at the commission of inquiry probing criminality in the police that he has links to alleged members of criminal networks in the country. Sibiya denies the allegations.

On Tuesday, the Randburg Magistrates Court denied him bail, saying he had failed to present exceptional circumstances on why he should be released and agreeing with prosecutors that his release would pose a threat to witnesses.

Police say that Sibiya's departure from the police service is regarded as a dishonorable discharge.

Sibiya has been the subject of a judicial commission of inquiry investigating wide-ranging allegations of corruption within the South African police and alleged ties to the country’s criminal networks.

At the commission, which is chaired by retired Judge Mbuyiseni Madlanga, Sibiya has been accused of having close links to alleged members of the criminal networks and receiving large sums of cash and gifts from them.

The National Prosecuting Authority said they will soon be ready for trial.

“We are comfortable that the evidence that we put before the court is good enough, and that is why we got the ruling that we got today,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago.