The South African Police Service (SAPS) was not involved in reviewing the arrest warrant for its National Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula said on Thursday.
However, he confirmed that the warrant was indeed the subject of review.
The warrant for Selebi’s arrest, for alleged corruption, fraud, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice, was obtained by Scorpions boss Gerrie Nel from the Randburg chief magistrate on September 10.
A search warrant was obtained on September 14 from the deputy judge president of the Witwatersrand Local Division of the High Court in Johannesburg.
However, acting National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) head Mokotedi Mpshe had the warrants cancelled shortly after the suspension of NPA head Vusi Pikoli.
This sparked calls from opposition parties for Selebi to step down, and accusations that President Thabo Mbeki was shielding the police chief from prosecution.
Selebi has come under the microscope over his involvement with drugs kingpin Glenn Agliotti, who is also accused of the murder of mining magnate Brett Kebble.
On Wednesday, Selebi’s office refused to comment on a plea bargain and 10-year suspended sentence for drug-trafficking handed down to Agliotti, who Selebi calls a friend.
”Agliotti himself said Jackie Selebi has not been a part of his court cases,” Nqakula said in response to questions at the announcement of the police’s crime statistics for April to September this year.
Selebi was not at the announcement.
Nqakula said those involved in policing were subject to various demands.
There were times when something major happened that the Minister of Safety and Security was not able to attend and it was the same on Thursday with the police national commissioner.
Nqakula pointed out that the police’s head of operations was also not at the event.
Their absences had to do with other functions they had.
”This is the only reason the national commissioner is not here today [Thursday],” he said.
In October, Selebi pledged to cooperate with a panel tasked with reviewing the criminal charges against him.
The panel consists of Frank Dutton, advocate Mbuyiseli Madlanga, Peter Goss and advocate Shamila Batohi.
Dutton helped set up the Scorpions in 2000 and now does investigative work; Madlanga is a practising advocate and former judge president of the Eastern Cape; Goss is the director of a forensic service in Gauteng and was formerly with PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the SAPS; Batohi is director of public prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal and previously headed the Scorpions in the province. — Sapa