In a statement Thursday, spokesmen for police chief Bheki Cele strongly condemned Tuesday’s raid on the offices of the public protector. They said action was being taken, but did not specify.

Police “management is concerned that this conduct may be construed as intimidation of the office of the public protector designed to discourage it in performing its functions,” the statement said, adding the officers involved “acted outside their mandate.” The public protector did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Last month, the public protector issued a report on the leasing of new headquarters offices in which she concluded Cele’s conduct was “unlawful” and broke rules intended to ensure public money is not misspent. Her investigation found that by dealing with only one company — owned by a man described as a friend of the president — and failing to seek competitive bids, Cele violated laws and regulations meant “to ensure that goods and services are procured in accordance with a system that is fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost effective.”

Cele has denied wrongdoing, saying he entrusted the handling of the lease to lower-ranking officers and to another government department.

On Thursday, police spokesman McIntosh Polela said in an interview that intelligence officers went to the public protector’s office seeking documents about the lease investigation that Cele had requested but been denied.

Polela said it was not clear whether they took any documents from the public protector Tuesday.

Polela said police were investigating the raid.

“We didn’t order it, that I know,” Polela said.