Selebi warrants 'shocked' Mbeki

2008-07-02 23:03

Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki was shocked when told that a search-and-arrest warrant had been issued against national Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi, the Ginwala inquiry heard on Wednesday.

Suspended prosecutions boss Vusi Pikoli told the inquiry into his fitness to hold office that the warrant had been obtained on September 14 for Selebi's home and office and he felt he needed to inform the president.

They met on September 15 and he told Mbeki that because the Directorate of Special Operations had not received information they needed from the police, they had decided to go ahead with getting the warrants.

"The president appeared shocked, and was not happy with the fact that we had obtained those warrants. First, because he felt that the process was still underway (to get the police to voluntarily provide the documents)."

Would wait for a week

Mbeki asked him to hold off on executing the warrants for two weeks, but Pikoli said this was too long.

However, to give Mbeki a chance to create an "enabling" environment, he would wait for a week.

This was because of the experience they had had when searching African National Congress president Jacob Zuma's offices and homes.

"My mind also went back to 2005 when we had ugly stuff at the residence of Mr Jacob Zuma.

"And, considering the fact that we were now going to have warrants executed against the national commissioner of police, who... had men under arms. There could be a potentially explosive situation."

He thought that during this time, Mbeki could suspend Selebi so that he would not be in command of armed people, or a meeting could be arranged with the police to facilitate the execution of the warrants.

"I could not be so reckless as to think that we could just move in, guns blazing as earlier suggested."

The meeting ended, and that evening he prepared a report on the investigation, as suggested by presidency director-general Frank Chikane.

The meeting resumed on Sunday and he handed the report to Mbeki. Chikane and Leonard McCarthy, former Gauteng DSO head were also present.

Mbeki reiterated the need for two weeks and Pikoli repeated his offer of a week.

Mbeki replied: "Vusi, do you know how angry the police are? Do you know there are police officers who are prepared to defy any court order?"

Wasn't invited to meeting

Pikoli said he failed to understand this, as they were not acting against the police as an institution, but against one individual.

He said Mbeki then asked Chikane to arrange a meeting of the national security cluster and, although he thought he was going to be included, Pikoli was not invited.

He said that in law there was no obligation to inform the president of the new developments, but given the seriousness of the matter, he wanted to tell Mbeki.

- SAPA