Agliotti is a liar, says ex
2009-11-04 14:28
Johannesburg - Convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti is a liar, his ex-fiancee Dianne Muller, who is a witness in the corruption trial of former police head Jackie Selebi, said on Wednesday.
"I expect we both know the credibility of Mr Agliotti. I never took anything he said as fact," she told defence lawyer Jaap Cilliers.
The petite blonde told the High Court in Johannesburg their relationship eventually ended because of his lies.
"I moved him out of my house because of his inability to tell me the truth. The more he thought he was untouchable and above the law, the more of a handful he became."
Earlier, Muller said Agliotti believed his friendship with Selebi put him above the law.
"Agliotti started to believe that he was larger than life. That he was bigger than anyone. That he could do anything. That the law could not touch him because he was friends with the accused."
Muller said since Agliotti's arrest in 2006 in a drug bust, her life had been a "living hell".
She said she never assisted Agliotti with the case or discussed the matter with anyone.
Muller - who admitted to being nervous at the beginning of her testimony - more than held her mettle against Cilliers' badgering style of questioning.
Making eye contact with him, she refuted and often reprimanded him for making claims about inconsistencies in her statements or untoward influences that shaped her testimony.
White bank bag
At one stage Cilliers alleged she changed details in her testimony from an affidavit she previously wrote to "make a stronger version against the accused".
"That is incorrect. Nobody ever discussed the case with me since I did the statement," she replied in confident, clipped tones, raising her hands.
She also did not get drawn into minute detail Cilliers wanted to ask her, telling him at one stage "I don't understand what you are asking me".
Earlier, she detailed having packed R110 000 in cash for Selebi at offices in Midrand which Agliotti also used.
"I counted R110 000 and put it in a white bank bag. I took it down to the boardroom and put the bag in front of Agliotti. He put his hands on the bag and slid it across to Jackie Selebi and said, 'Here you go, my China'.
"About 20 or 30 minutes later Glenn shouted Selebi is leaving. I waved goodbye and he [Selebi] had the bank bag in his possession."
During cross-examination, she reiterated she saw Selebi leaving with the bank bag. "He left with the bank bag in his hand."
Cilliers then asked her if he left with "a" bank bag, or "the" bank bag.
She asserted that neither Agliotti nor Selebi had any cases in the boardroom, and that it was a white Nedbank bag.
After further prodding, she told him: "It's the truth, Mr Cilliers. That is what happened."
Asked about details of payments made through an account for the company Spring Lights - which apparently was used to channel payments from slain mining magnate Brett Kebble and his associates - she said Cilliers should ask other witness.
"Feel free to ask my father [Martin Flint, the financial director of her company], he handles the details. You are asking the wrong person that question."
Muller described the relationship between Agliotti and Selebi as a "friendship of gain".
"I think they used each other for what they could gain from the friendship."
Muller said after the payment of R110 000, she brought up the issue with Agliotti.
"I had a discussion with Agliotti and I said that I felt it was not really the way for things to happen, that the national police commissioner was to be paid off by Glenn Agliotti.
"He told me to mind my own business."
Indemnity from prosecution
Muller detailed several other occasions where she saw Agliotti buy gifts for Selebi and his family, as well as prepare envelopes stuffed with money and initialled JS.
She said on average, Selebi came to the offices that she moved her business into in 2004, twice a month, always "dressed in full uniform".
Earlier, Muller was warned that, like Agliotti, she would receive Section 204 indemnity from prosecution on various charges if she was found to have testified "frankly and honestly".
According to Section 204 of the Criminal Procedure Act, a person guilty of criminal conduct may testify on behalf of the State in exchange for indemnity from prosecution.
Court will resume on Thursday morning to allow the defence time to consult the record of Muller's evidence.
Selebi is facing a charge of corruption and another of defeating the ends of justice in connection with at least R1.2m he allegedly received from Agliotti and others in return for favours.
- SAPA