The arrest of businessman Glen Agliotti clearly shows police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi ”in a good light”, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Johnny de Lange said at a news conference on Thursday.
He and his principal, Justice Minister Brigitte Mabandla, were asked at Parliament whether, given the breakthrough in the Brett Kebble murder case, they were prepared to comment and whether it ”put a cloud” over the national commissioner — who has publicly acknowledged that Agliotti is a friend.
Mabandla said she expected Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula to make a statement later on Thursday. It was expected that this statement would be made in the National Assembly, although this was not yet clear.
Agliotti was arrested on Wednesday evening at his Bryanston, Johannesburg, home and was scheduled to appear in court on Thursday afternoon.
The Scorpions in September raided premises belonging to Agliotti, whom they have identified as ”the Landlord”, a kingpin in a major drugs and contraband cigarette syndicate.
The raid has placed Palto, a murky security company that freelanced for the police, in the spotlight.
The search warrant lists Agliotti as a suspect alongside members of Palto, as well as senior police officials who were Palto’s contacts at police headquarters.
Allegations that Palto served as a cover for a crime syndicate remain unproven, but available evidence serves to reinforce the suspicion that the contraband syndicate was improperly linked to police at the highest levels.
Selebi, who has tried to downplay his friendship with Agliotti after initially saying that Agliotti was ”my friend, finish and klaar”, allegedly was close to Palto too.
Kebble was gunned down in Melrose, Johannesburg, in September 2005. He had just visited Matodzi Resources boss Sello Rasithaba, it was reported at the time.
Mabandla said on Thursday that ”the minister and Department of Safety and Security will be making a statement … they should if they feel it warrants a comment”.
She said all she could do was repeat what the minister had said in the past. ”You know at the moment there is not any investigation against the commissioner … that I know of … and that indeed if people feel that they have information they should come forward. I am repeating what the minister of safety and security said in the past.”
Asked about a story that was run about the commissioner removing Judge Willem Heath from the Kebble investigation and other forensic experts, De Lange simply said that if there was such information this should be provided to the police.
Media reports said earlier this month that former Airports Company South Africa security head Paul O’Sullivan had confirmed that he was a source of a 700-page document that alleged that Selebi had close links with crime bosses.
O’Sullivan said he had handed the document over to the Scorpions in March this year after an unsuccessful six-year battle to have Selebi investigated by the Independent Complaints Directorate. — I-Net Bridge