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S.Africa: Court makes exception for a smiling Selebi

WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.

Original Post Date: 2008-02-04 Time: 00:00:00  Posted By: Jan

The former head of Interpol and suspended national commissioner of police, who is officially on extended leave, had his hour in the dock of the Randburg magistrates’ court on Friday morning.

And it even looked, for a minute, as if Jacob Sello Selebi, charged with three counts of corruption and one of defeating the ends of justice, might have to spend time in the cells.

Magistrate Stanley Mkhari upbraided both Thanda Mngwengwe, the prosecutor, and Jaap Cilliers, Selebi’s lead counsel, for not doing things by the book.

Mkhari said he wanted everything “to be procedurally correct” and that it was usual for anyone accused of a schedule 5 offence to be held in custody. But it appeared, said the magistrate, that no one was making a bail application and that the accused had not been held in custody.

Both Mngwengwe and Cilliers looked taken aback, but Cilliers asked for a 20-minute adjournment during which he and the prosecution would prepare an affidavit of “common cause” facts – facts that neither side disputed – that would “address” the matter.

The handwritten affidavit, in which Selebi promised that he would not evade trial if he were released and that he would not interfere with the witnesses listed on the charge sheet, was duly produced. Selebi was set free but warned to appear in court again on June 26, when the case is expected to be transferred to the Johannesburg High Court.

Selebi was not asked to plead and the charges were not formally put to him, but Cilliers said Selebi intended to plead not guilty.

Selebi, who seemed cheerful and relaxed for most of the proceedings, wore a light grey suit and a pink, striped tie. He came into court through a side entrance and proclaimed: “I’m doing all right.”

Inside the court, he waved, gave a thumbs-up, and said: “Hi, how are you? Are you okay? I’m okay!”

Selebi asked if he could have a cushion as he sat in the dock.

Among the trial witnesses whose names were added to the charge sheet were: Vusi Pikoli, the suspended national director of public prosecutions; Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy; Scorpions investigators Andrew Leask, Piet van der Merwe, Elias “Slang” Maangwale and Pieter Jonker; and Dean Friedman and Leon Fouche, directors of forensic services at auditors KPMG.

Friedman and Fouche are expected to testify about the Scorpions-funded investigation into the Spring Lights account allegedly used to channel money from Brett Kebble, the murdered mining-house boss, to Selebi.

According to Mokotedi Mpshe, the acting national director of public prosecutions, the investigation revealed that “the account was opened on 16 November 2001 and has been dormant since 31 December 2005” – three months after Kebble was killed.

Court documents have shown that Pikoli will testify that Selebi, allegedly motivated by a $30 000 (R218 000) bribe from Kebble, tried, but failed, to persuade him to withdraw a warrant of arrest for fugitive Billy Rautenbach.

According to Mpshe, Selebi told Pikoli that he “was in possession of a letter that will embarrass the [national prosecuting authority] NPA, should it come out at trial”.

Other witnesses against Selebi include businessman Jurgen K(246)ögl, whom the Scorpions believe was one of the channels through which ANC president Jacob Zuma might have received payments from French arms company Thint.

K(246)ögl is said to have alerted intelligence authorities to claims that Kebble was making corrupt payments to Selebi.

Barry Gilder, a former intelligence co-ordinator and director-general of the department of home affairs, is expected to shed light on claims that Selebi showed his friend Glenn Agliotti, a convicted drug dealer, a “top secret” report.

President Thabo Mbeki placed Selebi on “extended leave” in January, but has resisted pressure to sack him the police chief. Selebi resigned the largely ceremonial post of president of Interpol, after the NPA announced last month that it would charge him.

In September, Mbeki suspended Pikoli after he issued a warrant for Selebi’s arrest. Mpshe, Pikoli’s successor, withdrew the warrant and ordered an independent investigation of the case against Selebi. This was done by outside legal experts who recommended that Selebi be charged.

According to the indictment against Selebi, he asked Agliotti for R30 000 and was given it a day or two after mining magnate Kebble was shot dead on September 27 2005 in Melrose, Johannesburg.

According to the indictment, Selebi is also accused of receiving money to induce him to cancel an arrest warrant for Rautenbach, a mining entrepreneur and “fugitive from justice living in Zimbabwe”.

Rautenbach allegedly asked Agliotti to get a South African warrant for his arrest cancelled.

Agliotti is listed as a police informer in the Selebi indictment, is a co-accused in the murder of Kebble and was recently convicted of drug trafficking.

“Agliotti discussed Rautenbach’s request with the accused and later indicated a willingness to assist,” the indictment reads.

Rautenbach allegedly made $40 000 available to bribe Selebi to have the warrant cancelled and “of this amount $30 000 was paid to the accused by Agliotti”.

The state alleges that Agliotti, Kebble, Rautenbach and other “relevant corporate entities” benefited Selebi, to the tune of “at least” R1,2-million, between January 1 2000 and December 31 2005.

“This was by way of payments by Agliotti on his own account and on behalf of Rautenbach, the Kebbles and others.”

The state believes the payments make no sense because neither Agliotti nor Rautenbach had legitimate business dealings with Selebi.

The payments and benefits, which allegedly included medical expenses for Selebi’s son, clothing and handbags for Selebi, his wife and girlfriend, and his children, were “not legally due to the accused”.

Selebi allegedly took no action against Agliotti, who might have been involved in a drug smuggling case in which police seized Mandrax worth R105 million and arrested five people.

“The accused took no action against Agliotti and, in fact, the matter was later withdrawn and people arrested for dealing in drugs were subsequently released and have never been prosecuted.”

Selebi is accused of discussing a number of drug smuggling investigations with Agliotti, who was implicated. He allegedly gave Agliotti access to a top-secret file.

In August or September 2004 Selebi was allegedly given R30 000 by Agliotti to fund a dinner to mark his election as Interpol chief.

Selebi and Agliotti met when Selebi was social welfare representative of the ANC. Agliotti wanted to make a business deal with the ANC. Agliotti was appointed a police informer, with Selebi’s knowledge, in February 2002. – Additional reporting by

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20080203090604973C871555