The Independent Democrats (ID) says it has been vindicated by the confirmation that national police commissioner Jackie Selebi was driving a stolen car.
Member of Parliament and chief whip Lance Greyling said it was “by no means the first time the ID has been vindicated in its anti-corruption campaign”.
Police spokesperson Vishnu Naidoo was quoted as saying that there was nothing irregular about the use of seized vehicles by the commissioner.
According to media reports it was apparently a Toyota Land Cruiser.
Greyling’s comments on Sunday came a week after the ID’s call, at the close of its national executive committee meeting in Johannesburg, to journalists around the country to investigate the circumstances surrounding the car driven by Selebi.
He came under fire on a South African Broadcasting Corporation programme for not reporting the matter to the appropriate authorities.
However, Greyling said on Sunday: “Because we just do not have the means to investigate every single one of the tens of allegations of corruption brought to us, we released the vehicle’s registration number and left the rest to the Fourth Estate.”
“And one week later, with newspaper reports apparently confirming our suspicions, the ID has been vindicated. For the third time, we would like to call on President [Thabo] Mbeki to institute a commission of inquiry into the many, very serious allegations facing Selebi.
“By urging us to trust him on Selebi, the president is putting his own standing on the line and we would urge him that the only single act that can dispel the suspicions surrounding Selebi will be the appointment of a judge to head an inquiry,” said Greyling.
It was reported last week that Selebi believes his name will be cleared.
“The national commissioner of the SAPS [South African Police Service] has no doubt that the real facts will be revealed as time progresses and that his name will be cleared,” his spokesperson, Director Sally de Beer, said.
Police were responding to a story in Friday’s Mail & Guardian that alleges that Selebi has been aware of a criminal investigation against his friend Glenn Agliotti for the past four years.
The story was published after the newspaper won a last-minute court battle against the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Thursday night, when the NPA tried to prevent publication.
It reports on a statement to the Scorpions, according to which Selebi was “informed about Glenn Agliotti’s involvement” when police seized a R105-million Mandrax consignment in 2002. The subsequent investigation failed spectacularly — Agliotti remained untouched, suspects caught red-handed were released and much of the haul was stolen back from the police.
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.