The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was not granted leave to appeal a ruling that it hand over documents requested by police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi to prepare his defence.
Isa Vorster, of the legal firm Selebi is instructing, said the NPA had indicated that it would petition the Supreme Court of Appeal for leave to appeal the Johannesburg High Court ruling.
The Johannesburg High Court ruled in favour of Selebi in February when he sought access to certain documents, like bank statements and a diary, to counter the charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice he would face at his trial from April 14.
The NPA’s view was that they had given him what they were legally entitled to hand over.
Selebi allegedly received payments from murdered mining entrepreneur Brett Kebble, via convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti, who was an accused in Kebble’s murder.
He said he was being framed in an attempt by the NPA’s investigative unit, the Scorpions, to avoid their pending departure from the NPA and the Justice Department, and amalgamation with the police under the Department of Safety and Security.
In court papers he claimed the NPA wanted to highlight the need for an investigative unit separate from the police. — Sapa