Jackie Selebi’s advocate will not re-examine the former police National Commissioner after eight days of gruelling cross-examination by prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
Selebi’s legal team called former police spin doctor Sally de Beer as their second witness on Monday morning.
The defence team’s decision not to re-examine Selebi is a significant indication that his evidence was not seen a crucial to his innocence. Selebi was often caught out changing his version by Nel and claimed on Friday that his wife, Anne, destroyed key evidence the previous night at their home.
According to a legal observer following the trial, the decision by Jaap Cilliers — Selebi’s counsel — not to re-examine his client “is a clear indication that they wanted to get him out of the witness box as soon as possible. There was a risk he would change his version again”.
De Beer started testifying on Monday morning about documents provided by a journalist from Independent Newspapers to the police containing allegations against Selebi. These documents formed part of former airports security boss Paul O’Sullivan’s “dossier” on Selebi.
De Beer testified that journalists from the Sunday Independent subsequently interviewed Selebi in her presence and an article appeared in the newspaper.
Selebi is accused of corruption relating to his alleged corrupt relationship with drug-dealer Glenn Agliotti, and of defeating the ends of justice relating to secret documents Selebi allegedly showed Agliotti.