A former Hell’s Angels biker who, it is believed, killed mining magnate Brett Kebble last October, has vanished, the Star reported on Friday.
The newspaper also reported that it had learnt that a Johannesburg police commissioner had apparently been arrested in connection with Glenn Agliotti, the businessman arrested on Thursday morning in connection with the murder.
The Star reported that police and Scorpions investigators said they had arranged to meet Kebble’s alleged killer after he had made a statement, but that he had failed to turn up.
The disappearance of the man — known to be a prominent bouncer in Gauteng — follows confirmation by police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi that the alleged gunman was one of four men who had struck a deal with the Scorpions, the report read.
Another is security-company owner Clinton Nassif who, after Kebble’s murder last October in his car in Johannesburg, reportedly got police to release the vehicle before proper forensic tests had been done.
Selebi told the Star that police had planned to arrest the four for Kebble’s murder but found that the Scorpions had already arrested them — and granted them immunity.
The Star reported that Selebi had been kept in the dark about Agliotti’s arrest by the Scorpions on Thursday and was informed of it three hours after it had happened.
Asked during an interview with Talk Radio 702 why the Scorpions had made the arrests, Selebi said: ”We went for other people; there were about five people we were aiming at. And when we got to those people it became clear to us that they had entered into some arrangement with the people who had finally arrested them.
”So, it was no point, it would have ruined everything if we went ahead with those people.”
National police spokesperson Sally de Beer said she was under orders from the head of the detective team working on the case not to comment at all on these matters.
Scorpions spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi could not be reached for comment.
Police duties
Meanwhile, Selebi wants journalists to stop calling his cellphone as he wants to concentrate on official duties, De Beer said. ”For the time being, we will not be conducting interviews and responding to media questions and requests for one-on-one discussions unless it relates directly to police crime prevention and combating duties,” she said.
”The commissioner would now like to concentrate on his official duties and we call on all journalists to refrain from contacting on his cellular phone.”
Selebi’s relationship with Agliotti has received extensive media coverage. Selebi was recently quoted as saying of his relationship with businessman Agliotti: ”[He’s] my friend, finish and klaar.”
The South African Police Service will not give any details on the investigation, De Beer said.
”An arrest has been made in the Kebble murder case and investigations continue. Let us all respect the due process of the law and allow all facts to be revealed in the appropriate manner when the case goes to trial.”
De Beer said Selebi has given a number of media interviews in recent months. The commissioner has ”at all times” been honest and frank and invited questions.
‘Resign now’
Former security official Paul O’Sullivan — the author of a dossier alleging the involvement of senior police officials in a criminal organisation — said on Friday that Selebi should resign and the people appointed by him should be investigated.
O’Sullivan told the National Press Club in Pretoria on Friday that he felt vindicated by the arrest of Agliotti for the murder of Kebble.
O’Sullivan, the former security chief at Airports Company South Africa, told the press club: ”A thorough investigation should take place with a view to determining who Selebi has placed in office and where, to ensure that all the cancer is removed lest it resurface.”
”You should resign now, finish and klaar,” he said about Selebi.
The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) on Friday added their voices to calls for Selebi’s suspension in the wake of Agliotti’s arrest.
IFP spokesperson Velaphi Ndlovu said in a statement that to ensure the impartiality of further investigations in the case, the IFP advised Selebi to take a leave of absence.
ACDP leader Kenneth Meshoe said the fact that the Scorpions effected an arrest while the police had been investigating the matter for more than a year proved that the Scorpions had far better investigative skills and abilities than the police.
O’Sullivan told the Press Club he had passed on information to the Scorpions about what he claimed was Selebi’s involvement with criminals. Other than that, he said, the fact that Selebi had a relationship with Agliotti was enough reason for him to resign.
O’Sullivan said the syndicate was involved in several activities, including drug and human trafficking, trafficking of counterfeit goods and corruption. ”It was clear to me that the tentacles of this syndicate went right into the headquarters of the South African Police Service,” he said.
O’Sullivan has claimed that the commissioner has made ”vicious and unwarranted attacks” against him. Selebi, in turn, has accused O’Sullivan of mounting a smear campaign against him. — Sapa
You first read about it in the M&G
Over nearly six months, while it ran a series of articles about a crime syndicate associated with slain mining magnate Brett Kebble and police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, the Mail & Guardian was a voice crying in the media wilderness. The arrest of Glenn Agliotti vindicates the M&G‘s multipart exposé:
May 26: Jackie Selebi’s shady Kebble links
The M&G revealed that Selebi was ”linked to shadowy figures” Agliotti and Clint Nassif, who worked with Kebble on security and other projects, and that it was ”highly likely” that the Scorpions were investigating this network and Selebi’s links to it. We also reported that Agliotti phoned Selebi soon after Kebble’s murder, and that Agliotti and Kebble had been in phone contact 24 hours earlier, when the latter was close to the murder scene. Agliotti and Selebi insisted there was nothing untoward about their call.
June 2: Commissioner did visit Kebble
We detailed Agliotti’s involvement in R18-million fraudulent cobalt deals and his life as a bigamist. We also confirmed Selebi visited Kebble’s home — despite his earlier denial.
July 14: Kebble link in huge drug bust
We reported the Scorpions’ arrest of five alleged syndicate members on charges of smuggling hashish and dagga worth up to R200-million, in a move linked to a wider investigation of Agliotti and his company. We also detailed a contraband tobacco deal involving some of the same actors, and how a crooked cop involved in the deal boasted of taking Selebi’s orders.
July 28: Arrests: Agliotti is next
We identified Agliotti as ”the Landlord”, described by the Scorpions in court as among ”the syndicate bosses who tend not to get their hands dirty, but manage their enterprises from a distance”. We also examined Agliotti and Selebi’s friendship — Selebi had originally described Agliotti as ”my friend, finish and klaar”, but was now backtracking.
August 4: ‘Landlord gave order to kidnap’
We further described Agliotti’s alleged involvement with the syndicate, including claims that he had a syndicate member locked in a container.
September 22: Scorpions raid Agliotti
We reported that the Scorpions had raided Agliotti’s home and business, and that the warrant indicated they were interested in the syndicate’s links with police and Palto, a shady undercover operation linked to Selebi that freelanced for police.
September 29: Selebi, Agliotti and the dirty cops
We expanded on Palto’s role and Selebi’s downplaying of his ties with Palto head Paul Stemmet.
October 27: Kebble’s security boss nabbed
We reported the arrest of Nassif, Agliotti’s friend and former Kebble security adviser, as part of the Scorpions’ larger investigation. We said ”Nassif’s arrest could blow the case wide open … he could turn state witness”.
November 3: Kebble murder: The noose tightens
We named the Scorpions’ investigation into the criminal network surrounding Kebble — project ”Bad Guys”. The investigation encompassed conspiracy to murder, (the Kebble) murder, corruption (Selebi’s alleged receipt of syndicate money, which he denies), drug trafficking and organised crime (including the July drug bust). We reported claims that Nassif interfered with the Kebble murder probe by moving Kebble’s car to a panel-beater and tried to get it cleaned.
November 10: Inside the Selebi dossier
We described how former airport security boss Paul O’Sullivan, on a mission to expose Selebi, contributed to the Scorpions probe. Selebi has accused O’Sullivan of engineering a ”smear” against him.
November 17: Kebble arrest: What now for Selebi?
The arrest of Agliotti on suspicion of murdering Kebble has opened perhaps the biggest can of worms in South Africa’s criminal history. The arrest could have grave implications for Selebi.