OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Thursday 7.00pm.
THE National Director of Public Prosecutions, Bulelani Ngcuka, has decided not to prosecute police commissioner Jackie Selebi for insulting a Brooklyn police sergeant by calling her a “chimpanzee”.
Ngcuka says it is not in the interest of the public to take steps against Selebi. He also says that prosecution will probably have an adverse effect on police morale.
The Independent Complaints Directorate said earlier in the week that all evidence pointed to the fact that Selebi had indeed called Jeanette Mothiba a chimpanzee.
However, the ICD suggested that instead of being prosecuted, Selebi should receive a lesson in manners from Safety and Security Minister Steve Tshwete.
Ngcuka apparently decided against prosecuting Selebi after reading the ICD report.
Selebi is alleged to have entered the Brooklyn charge office on New Year’s Eve to organise a car and a driver.
Mothiba said that during the course of their interaction, Selebi called her a “chimpanzee” and told her to “shut up”.
Meanwhile, Selebi is involved in another controversy. A police sergeant has accused the new commissioner of intimidation, while the former foreign affiars director-general struck back and implied the man was lying.