Selebi: No obligations to NPA

2010-04-20 17:08

Johannesburg - The cross-examination of former police chief Jackie Selebi continued in the South Gauteng High Court on Tuesday with the prosecution quizzing him on his relationship with convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel wanted to know about information Selebi allegedly shared with Agliotti after he was given a dossier implicating Agliotti in drug smuggling incidents.

Nel also asked Selebi why he did not alert national prosecutions head Vusi Pikoli to his relationship with Agliotti after media reports linked him to underworld characters.

"In the media campaign, there was a link between you and Glenn Agliotti... why didn't you say to Pikoli, 'Glenn was my source, my only interest in him was information'," said Nel.

Selebi replied that he had not been "under the obligation to report to Pikoli".

"Agliotti was arrested for drugs in the (Stephanos) Paparas matter and you still didn't say 'now I must go to Pikoli'. You never told Pikoli, 'Glenn was my source, the only interest I had in him was information'," Nel submitted.

'Nel behind media campaign'

Before answering him, Selebi accused Nel of being behind the "media campaign" against him.

"You wrote in your own handwriting that 'we (the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) must keep this thing in the media."

However, Nel in turn accused him of taking on the prosecutor "now that you are in trouble".

After repeating his questions, he asked: "Mr Selebi, why can't you answer? You are an intelligent educated person so you pretend not to understand the question."

Selebi then replied: "I felt it was not necessary to do so (inform Pikoli). He never asked about Glenn."

Selebi also denied using his influence to help his friend Gary Varejes in orchestrating an SA Revenue Service (Sars) sting on Tigon, a company owned by Gary Porrit, for tax evasion.

"He (Varejes) told me there was a Sars person in Randburg who was misbehaving and causing problems.

"I took it he was complaining about this official and it was affecting him in some way," Selebi told the court.

Tax matters

He agreed to introduce Varejes to Sars officials, like Irvin Pillay, but denied sitting in on a meeting were Varejes was to tell his story regarding his problem with the tax collectors.

"Yes, I introduced them. They didn't know who Varejes was. I told them he had a tax matter to raise, then I excused myself because I know nothing about tax matters," he said.

Nel disputed this.

He told the court that Scorpions investigator Hans Van Loggerenberg "said in an affidavit that you Mr Selebi said there were people who have information on serious tax evasion and collusion of Sars officials".

Selebi denied knowing details of the meeting between Varejes and Sars officials, nor anything about Tigon.

The trial continues.
 

- SAPA