Former police national commissioner Jackie Selebi claims his ex-friend, the drug-lord Glenn Agliotti, bought him a Swiss Army knife as a gift — but Agliotti said he ”would never insult” Selebi in that manner.
Selebi’s counsel, Jaap Cilliers, put it to Agliotti on Tuesday morning in the South Gauteng High Court that Selebi remembered Agliotti buying him clothing as birthday gifts, in addition to the pocket knife.
Agliotti responded: ”I would never insult the accused [Selebi] by buying him a Swiss Army knife. I’ve never bought a Swiss Army knife, not even for myself.”
Agliotti entered the witness box for the third week on Tuesday and Cilliers was expected to wrap-up cross-examination before lunch.
Cilliers started cross-examination on Tuesday by focusing on Agliotti’s claims that he bought Selebi numerous items of clothing, shoes and ties.
Cilliers conceded that Selebi remembered ”receiving certain gifts” from Agliotti on special occasions like birthdays, but specifically remembered the knife ”because it had a built-in watch”.
Agliotti denied buying Selebi a knife.
Cilliers also told the court that Selebi denied ever receiving an expensive Canali tie as claimed by Agliotti. Agliotti stood firm in his evidence: a Canali tie was a ”very expensive” item and he vividly remembered buying one for Selebi.
Jackie goes shopping
In a December 2006 article, the Mail & Guardian reported on a statement made to the Scorpions by Paul Stemmet, who got close to Selebi during his time as an undercover police operative.
Stemmet in his statement said he personally witnessed Agliotti buy two suits for Selebi from a shop co-owned by Yusuf Surtee, best known as Nelson Mandela’s tailor.
”I also saw Glenn Agliotti and Jackie Selebi in a shop called Aigna [actually Aigner] in Sandton. The Surtee family owns this shop. Jackie selected two suits on this occasion that I saw Glenn then pay for in cash.”
Stemmet stated that the owner of a nearby coffee shop, whom he knew, had indicated to him on more than one occasion that Agliotti had ”taken Jackie shopping again”.
Stemmet claims he was also present when Agliotti bought clothes for Selebi’s two sons at another Sandton shop, Fubu.
”I personally witnessed the children getting the clothes and Glenn paying in cash for the goods,” Stemmet states. He says Selebi was not present, but his driver, Wessel Jenner, brought them to the shop.