Selebi to pay back legal fees, says justice ministry

Former national police commissioner Jackie Selebi has to pay the state back for all his legal fees, the department of justice said on Friday.

“We are going to start calculating the actual amount owing and communicate with Mr Selebi through his lawyers,” department spokesperson Tlali Tlali said.

When asked what would happen if Selebi could not pay back the money, Tlali said: “We will follow normal debt recovery processes.”

Selebi asked the state to assist him in carrying the cost of his legal fees during his corruption trial.

In a pre-trial agreement with the state, he agreed to pay back all the costs if he lost his case.

Selebi was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for corruption after accepting payments from convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti, but appealed the conviction.

On Friday, the Supreme Court of Appeal found that the high court in Johannesburg was correct in ruling.

The former Interpol president was watching the SCA’s judgment on television when he collapsed and could not walk. He was rushed to a hospital in Pretoria.

Selebi has until Sunday evening to report to Johannesburg Prison, also known as “Sun City”, to start his sentence.—Sapa

For coverage of former police chief Jackie Selebi’s corruption trial and aftermath, visit our special report.