KwaZulu-Natal police have launched an internal investigation after discovering that the criminal record of South African citizen Stuart Sharnick had been altered within the South African Police Service (SAPS) system.
Senior officers say they were unaware of any tampering until Sharnick recently challenged the accuracy of his own criminal record, prompting renewed scrutiny of internal processes.
Sharnick, who has publicly described himself as a friend of suspended crime detection chief Shadrack Sibiya, filed charges on Wednesday against Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo. He alleged that Khumalo damaged his reputation by presenting details of his criminal record during testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. The commission is examining allegations of misconduct within the intelligence and investigative structures of SAPS.
On Thursday, KwaZulu-Natal’s deputy provincial commissioner for crime detection, Anthony Gopaul, confirmed that an internal review began only after Sharnick laid his complaint. He said the challenge forced officers to verify whether the information presented at the commission was accurate.
Gopaul thanked Sharnick for prompting the inquiry, saying the accusation compelled police to examine what he described as an unexpected discrepancy. “We were told confidently that nothing of that nature appeared on his criminal record, so we had to determine who was providing false information,” he said.
According to Gopaul, investigators have now traced a transaction within the SAPS database to January, suggesting that some form of alteration may have occurred months before the dispute reached public attention. He said the discovery raised questions about whether the fault lay with an individual official or with weaknesses in the police information system.
Gopaul added that the incident has highlighted the need for tighter oversight of sensitive data within SAPS systems, particularly when high-ranking officers and public inquiries are involved. The internal investigation will examine the origin of the disputed entry, the circumstances under which the criminal record was changed, and whether any disciplinary action is warranted.
SAPS has not confirmed when the investigation will conclude, but officials say the findings will determine whether criminal charges or internal sanctions will follow.
