'Jackie Selebi must go'
2008-01-11 21:14
Johannesburg - Opposition parties have called for the immediate suspension of National Police Commissioner, Jackie Selebi, in light of his failure to prevent the NPA from prosecuting him.
Selebi's urgent application was denied in the Pretoria High Court on Thursday.
Judge Nico Coetzee said the application bore no merit and it was struck off the roll.
He added that the administration of justice would be brought into disrepute if Selebi was not prosecuted.
The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) came out in support of the court's decision, saying that it was a "significant victory for the Rule of Law".
FF Plus justice spokesperson Frik van Heerden said it was an "irony" that Selebi "dared" to approach the court to prevent his own arrest and prosecution.
'Crucial' suspension
This, only a few days after a task force of more than 20 police officers arrested "respected" Scorpions prosecutor Gerrie Nel.
The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) called on President Thabo Mbeki to suspend Selebi immediately.
"This action is not only crucial in light of the high rate of crime in South Africa and the implications for SAPS morale; the matter of Selebi's suspension and fitness is of world interest," said ACDP spokesperson Kenneth Meshoe.
"It is an embarrassment with the commissioner being the present head of Interpol and with the world spotlight being upon security in light of 2010," he said.
The DA said silence on the part of both the president and minister of safety and security in relation to Selebi's application had been "deafening".
DA spokesperson Dianne Kohler Barnard said: "The NPA's refusal to bow down before political heavyweights restores the public's faith in the impartiality of the criminal justice system."
- SAPA