Selebi's lawyer 'very worried'

2011-12-02 19:25

Bloemfontein - Wynanda Coetzee, the lawyer of former national police commissioner Jackie Selebi who collapsed and was taken to hospital when he saw on television that his appeal against his corruption conviction had failed, said on Friday that she was "very worried".

Selebi was convicted of receiving benefits from convicted drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti.

The former head of Interpol was watching the judgment of the Supreme Court of Appeals (SCA) on television when he collapsed and could not walk.

He has until Sunday evening to report to Johannesburg Prison, also known as "Sun City", to start his 15-year sentence.

However, if he does not recover in time, his lawyers will have to notify the registrar of the high court and provide a medical certificate to prove he was ill, otherwise he could be arrested, National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said.

Mhaga said the State never had any doubt the judgment would be in its favour.

"We had a very strong case and argument."

Mhaga said even if Selebi tried to take the matter further the State would oppose the move.

He praised the State's prosecuting and investigation teams, saying they deserved to be commended for their handling of the case.

The SCA ruled that the State had proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Selebi received payments from Agliotti on four occasions.

These included payments of R110 000, R30 000 and R10 000, as well as an unspecified amount in United States dollars.

The SCA upheld the trial court’s finding that there were four instances which constituted Selebi providing a benefit to Agliotti in return for the favours received by him.

These included providing Agliotti with a report by British law enforcement authorities, a 2005 national intelligence estimate, an e-mail implicating Agliotti in drug-related activities, and the attendance by Selebi at meetings and dinners, at Agliotti’s request, with his associates.

The SCA held that on all the evidence it was satisfied the State had succeeded in proving Selebi's guilt.

"The appeal is dismissed," Judge Kenneth Mthiyane said in Bloemfontein.

- SAPA