Timeline: Selebi corruption trial

2009-11-20 13:33

Former police chief Jackie Selebi arrives at court as his corruption trial continues. (Werner Beukes, Sapa)

Lunga Biyela

Confused by the background and proceedings of the Jackie Selebi corruption trial? News24 unpacks it for you.

September 27, 2005 – Brett Kebble is shot dead while driving to a dinner engagement. The police don’t have many leads.

November 16, 2006 – Businessman and alleged crime boss, Glenn Agliotti, is arrested in connection with Kebble's murder.

November 17, 2006 – Police commissioner Jackie Selebi responds with "Glenn Agliotti is my friend, finish and klaar," when asked about his relationship with Agliotti.

September 10, 2007 – A warrant of arrest against Selebi is issued by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Thirteen days later, President Thabo Mbeki suspends NPA head Vusi Pikoli, apparently for "an irretrievable breakdown" in the relationship between Pikoli and Justice Minister at the time, Brigitte Mabandla. The Mail and Guardian claims to have information that the suspension is a bid by the former president to protect Selebi.

September 24, 2007 – Moketedi Mpshe becomes acting head of the NPA.

December 5, 2007 – Glenn Agliotti pleads guilty to dealing in drugs, and agrees to turn State witness in cases against other drug traffickers.

December 20, 2007 – Jacob Zuma defeats Thabo Mbeki to become the ANC president at the party's 52nd National Conference in Polokwane, spelling the end for Mbeki and his allies.

January 11, 2008 – Jackie Selebi is charged with corruption and defeating the course of justice due to his friendship with Agliotti.

January 12, 2008 – President Thabo Mbeki announces that Selebi is to go extended leave. Timothy Charles Williams is appointed acting commissioner of police.

January 13, 2008 – Selebi resigns as head of Interpol.

January 31, 2008 – Selebi appears at the Randburg Magistrate's Court, where he is charged with corruption and defeating the course of justice. His trial is scheduled to start on April 14, 2009.

June 3, 2008 – Australian media reports that Australian businessman and Brett Kebble’s former right-hand man and business associate, John Stratton, is wanted back in South Africa by the Scorpions, who are trying to have him extradited.

September 20, 2008 – Thabo Mbeki is recalled as president of the country.

September 25, 2008 – Kgalema Motlanthe is sworn in as president.

December 8, 2008 – Vusi Pikoli is fired by President Kgalema Motlanthe.

May 9, 2009 – Jacob Zuma is sworn in as president.

October 5, 2009 – Selebi’s trial begins at the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg. Glenn Agliotti is the first State witness. His testimony lasts for 11 days. He claims he gave Selebi R30 000 ahead of Interpol elections, that he bought expensive shoes for former president, Thabo Mbeki. Selebi denied these allegations. Agliotti also maintained that Bulelani Ngcuka was part of a conspiracy to bring down Selebi.

October 15, 2009 – Judge Meyer Joffe requests the State and defence to present argument into whether the 2008 video, which features Agliotti and National Intelligence Agency officials, can be admitted as evidence.

October 21, 2009 – Selebi's lawyer, advocate Jaap Cilliers, asked Judge Joffe to recuse himself from the trial.

October 30, 2009 – Judge Joffe dismisses the application for his recusal.

November 3, 2009 – Agliotti testifies that Selebi once told him that he "wanted the Scorpions to go". He also testifies that on the night of Kebble’s death, he was on his way to identify his body at the mortuary when he received a phone call from Selebi, in which Selebi asked him for money.

November 4, 2009 – Dianne Muller, Agliotti’s ex-fiancée, is the State’s second witness. Amongst other things, she claims Agliotti began to think he was above the law because of his friendship with Selebi.  She also alleges that Agliotti asked her to pack R110 000 into a bag for Selebi. She handed him the bag, but Selebi denies this ever happened. Muller also claims Selebi had asked Agliotti to lend him R10 000 for his son’s birthday party.

November 6, 2009 – Martin Flint, Muller's father is the third witness to take the stand.  He says the company Spring Lights was sold to Brett Kebble, and used by JCI to transfer large amounts of money to Agliotti. Flint also tells the court that Agliotti used to ask him to cash cheques for various people named "c.o.p", "chief", and "JS". He says he doesn't know who these cheques were for, and that he was under the impression that "JS" stood for John Stratton.

November 9, 2009 – The fourth witness, director of KPMG services, Dean Friedman, takes the stand. KPMG monitored Selebi's spending between 2004 and 2006. The State alleges that during that time, Selebi received R1.2m from Agliotti in return for favours and access to police intelligence.

November 10, 2009 – Selebi's lawyer, advocate Cilliers, says Ann Selebi, Jackie Selebi's wife, managed household finances and other affairs.

November 11, 2009 – Superintendent Paula Stefanie Rouland testifies that Selebi called a "Glenn" when she was briefing him about the Kebble murder. When she asked him if it had been Glenn Agliotti, he ignored her, and said "I don't know numbers" when she asked for his (Agliotti) number. She said Kebble had made seven phone calls to Agliotti from the scene of his "murder". When police call him on that number, it is found to be inactive.

November 11, 2009 – Security consultant, Stephen Sander takes the stand, and testifies that he had been invited by Clinton Nassif, who handled Brett Kebble's security, to join an investigative company called Central National Security Group (CNSG). He says Nassif had told him he had secured a contact with Kebble and Stratton's company, JCI to set up an "investigative company with surveillance team". He says once he agreed, he was taken to meet Agliotti at the Dainfern Country Club. Sander says: "Nassif told me the reason to meet Agliotti was that he had close ties with the then-commissioner of police Jackie Selebi."

November 12, 2009 – A KMPG report reveals that Agliotti received at least R6.75m from Brett Kebble, for Kebble's access to the former police chief. Selebi saw R410 000 of that money. Agliotti has previously testified that he had charged Kebble and Stratton a $1m "consultancy fee" for access to Selebi, but it was not clear whether the money was paid to Agliotti.

November 17, 2009 – Former NPA head, Vusi Pikoli reacts angrily to accusations about an alleged discussion he had had with Selebi about his wife’s shares. Mrs Pikoli reportedly received shares in a Black Economic Empowerment company with a stake in mining company Simmer and Jack from Roger Kebble, the father of Brett Kebble. Pikoli testified that Selebi has asked him why charges against Billy Rautenbach were not being dropped when they were on an anti-corruption task team visit to the Eastern Cape.

November 19, 2009 – Former Hyundai boss and fugitive, Billy Rautenbach takes the stand and testifies that he paid money to Glen Agliotti to gain access to Selebi in order to resolve his troubles with the law. Earlier, a lawyer interrupts court proceedings to serve papers to Rautenbach, who has been on the run from the law for the last ten years.

- News24