Mrs Selebi pulled purse strings

2009-11-10 16:11

Johannesburg - Ann Selebi, wife of corruption-accused former police head Jackie Selebi, managed their household finances, the South Gauteng High Court heard on Wednesday.

"Mrs Selebi was in complete control of all affairs. Mr Selebi was not the kind of person who involved himself in all these issues," defence lawyer Jaap Cilliers said.

KPMG forensic auditor Dean Friedman was testifying about a report about Selebi's credit card and cheque accounts from 2004 to 2006.

He told the court of 13 cash payments, totalling R42 000, which were withdrawn from the cheque account. The same amounts were then found deposited into his credit card account.

Cilliers said his instructions were that these transfers were made by Mrs Selebi.

"Mrs Selebi would receive notification from the bank that payment was needed, or not paid into the credit card.

"She would then go and withdraw the money from the bank account and pay the money into the credit card."

During re-examination of Friedman, prosecutor Gerrie Nel indicated to the court that certain automatic payment orders (APO) went off on the cheque account to the credit card account.

Friedman said APOs were standard deduction bank charges made against the cheque account, according to the level of credit in the credit card account.

Selebi faces 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 between 2000 and 2006.
 

- SAPA