For a commissioner of police, Jackie Selebi has a rather unfortunate history of association with stolen cars.
As early as 1998, when he had just been appointed director general of foreign affairs, Selebi was reportedly shocked to discover that he owned a stolen BMW.
Selebi told police he had bought the car in 1994 from a Soweto man who repaired and re-built motorcars, but he welcomed their investigation.
As late as last year, there was a row about his use of a stolen Toyota Landcruiser impounded by police, which his spokesperson said was perfectly legal.
Now, it is alleged, at the time he was taking over leadership of the police in late 1999, he tried to intervene to have another stolen car returned — this time a vehicle belonging to Rehan Syed, an associate of Selebi’s friend Imran Ismail. (See Selebi’s friends.)
News reports in 2000 said police had seized three luxury Mercedes vehicles imported by Syed from Dubai. It was claimed these vehicles were stolen in the United Kingdom.
One, a Mercedes-Benz 500SL sports car, had reportedly just dropped boxing champion Evander Holyfield at his hotel after a visit in July 1997 to former president Nelson Mandela’s Houghton home when police seized the vehicle.
The police’s now disbanded anti-corruption unit became involved in probing Syed’s alleged racket when it discovered police involvement in the issuing of false clearance certificates for stolen cars.
According to a source close to the anti-corruption unit, Selebi attempted to intervene on behalf of Syed in late 1999 or early 2000, shortly after his appointment as commissioner-designate.
It is claimed that he told the unit he had spoken to Syed, who had assured him that the car was imported legally. Selebi allegedly asked that the car be returned.
It is understood that the unit demurred, saying they should wait for information coming from Mercedes-Benz in Germany.
Later, it is alleged, Selebi arranged for the case to be transferred to the police vehicle theft unit, which made arrangements to return the car.
At least one source who knows Ismail told the Mail & Guardian that he had seen Selebi and Ismail together in Ismail’s 500SL, which was one of the allegedly stolen cars brought into the country by Syed.
Selebi has dismissed the claims as rubbish, but it is known that Syed, at the time, traded on a claimed friendship with senior ANC figures, including, specifically, Selebi.
Syed, a Pakistani, who claimed to be a special representative of several governments, had his South African citizenship revoked in 2001 and was forced to leave the country.
In a later court case, the head of the police organised crime division, Tallie Taljaard, testified that investigations into Syed had taken place since 1998, including allegations that he was part of a stolen vehicle syndicate and was involved in the distribution of drugs. Taljaard testified that the plaintiff had been deported from Zimbabwe because of drug trafficking and money-laundering offences before he arrived in South Africa.