Two opposition parties have urged police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi to quit after the arrest for murder of his associate Glenn Agliotti.
The Freedom Front Plus (FF+) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) said on Thursday that Selebi’s links with the man arrested in connection with the killing of Brett Kebble should be investigated.
”In the light of the arrest of Mr Glenn Agliotti … and the possible charges of murder and conspiracy to commit murder and given the generally well-known relationship between Agliotti … and Selebi, the commissioner should immediately vacate his post,” said Pieter Groenewald, chief spokesperson for the FF+.
Groenewald said the commissioner’s credibility is of the ”utmost importance to combat crime and for the national interest”.
”It would therefore be to the advantage of the country if Commissioner Selebi vacates his post until such time as an independent judicial commission of inquiry has completed its task.”
The DA also called for Selebi to remove himself as national commissioner.
”Commissioner Selebi has admitted that Agliotti is a friend of his, and there have been claims that Agliotti telephoned Selebi immediately after the murder,” DA safety and security spokesperson Dianne Kohler-Barnard said in a statement.
Both parties called for a full investigation to be undertaken into the nature of Selebi’s relationship with Agliotti.
The cloud hanging over the commissioner is now of such a proportion that Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula has ”no option but to remove him, should he not step down voluntarily”.
”Surely the man tasked with leading the fight against crime should be above reproach when it comes to the people he associates with,” said Kohler-Barnard.
Agliotti was arrested at his home in Bryanston by members of the Scorpions early on Thursday. He appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Thursday afternoon.
The matter was postponed to December 8 for a formal bail application. — Sapa