Jacob (Jackie) Sello Selebi (born 7 March 1950 in Johannesburg)[1] is the former national commissioner of the South African Police Service,[2] and a former president of Interpol.[3] In January 2008, Selebi was put on extended leave as national police commissioner, and resigned as president of Interpol, after he was charged with corruption in his native South Africa.[4] He was replaced as national commissioner in July 2009 by Bheki Cele. Selebi was found guilty of corruption on 2 July 2010 [5] and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on 3 August 2010.[6]. His appeal against his sentence was overturned by the Supreme Court of Appeal on the 2nd of December, 2011, after the court unanimously ruled against him.[7]
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Selebi was a representative of the Soviet Union's World Federation of Democratic Youth in Budapest, Hungary, from 1983 to 1987.[8]
In 1987 he was elected head of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League while in exile in Zambia.[9] In the same year, he was appointed to the National Executive Committee of the ANC.[8]
In 1991 he was made responsible for the repatriation of ANC exiles back into South Africa, and was appointed head of the Department of Welfare of the ANC in 1993.[9]
In 1994 he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the ANC.[8]
From 1995 to 1998, Selebi served as the South African ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations.[8]
In 1998, he was appointed Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pretoria, a post he held until 1999.[8]
In 1998, Selebi received a Human Rights Award from the International Service for Human Rights.[10][11]
In 2000, he was made national commissioner of the South African Police Service, a post he held until 2009.[8]
During that time, Selebi was elected vice- president of Interpol (African region) in 2002, as post he held until 2004.[8]
In 2004, Selebi was elected as president of Interpol, a post he held until 2008.[8]
During his time with Interpol, Selebi also served as Chair of the Anti-Landmine Conference, Oslo, Norway; Chair of Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster; and Chair - Human Rights Commission, United Nations, 54th Session.[8]
He resigned both as National Police Commissioner and President of Interpol in 2008 when corruption charges were laid against him.[12]
In 2007, Selebi was strongly criticised for responding to concern within the country over South Africa's rising crime rate with the comment "What's all the fuss about crime?"[13]
In March of the same year, Selebi was also criticised for his suggestion to legalise prostitution and public drinking for the duration of the 2010 Soccer World Cup to be hosted in South Africa. Opposition political parties and Doctors For Life International expressed their dismay at Selebi's recommendation and called on parliament not to legalise prostitution or public drinking.[14][15]
Selebi has admitted to a friendship with Glenn Agliotti,[16] who is a suspect in the murder of Brett Kebble, and was allegedly involved in a large drug deal and organised crime.[17] Despite being head of police at the time, Selebi claimed that he was oblivious that his friend was involved with crime.
On 10 September 2007, the National Prosecuting Authority issued a warrant of arrest for Selebi for corruption, fraud, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice.[18]
On 12 January 2008, President Thabo Mbeki effectively suspended Selebi via an "extended leave of absence," and appointed Timothy Charles Williams as acting national commissioner of police.[4]
On 13 January, Interpol announced that Selebi had resigned as president of the organisation to fight the corruption allegations.[19][20]
After several postponements,[21] Selebi’s trial began in earnest on 8 April 2010, nearly two years after the charges were first laid.[22]
During the trial, convicted drugs smuggler Glenn Agliotti told the court that he had paid Selebi over R1.2 million ($157,000; £98,000) in bribes since 2000.[12]
Agliotti testified that he had handed over cash-stuffed envelopes and bought handbags for Selebi's wife.[12]
Agliotti said he had first met Selebi in 1990, when he first asked for money to pay for medical bills.[12]
"Initially I would pay from my own money. I would put it in an envelope. It was small amounts - 5,000 rand, 10,000 rand, Agliotti testified.[12]
Two later payments, Agliotti continued, were worth R120,000 and R200,000 respectively.[12]
Agliotti further testified that he and Selebi would go shopping together at upmarket Johannesburg shopping centres where all purchases would be charged to Agliotti's account.[12]
"When the accused and I met, I enjoyed shopping and so did he. Him being my friend, I would instruct shop attendants to put all the clothes on my account," Agliotti testified.[12]
"For the accused's wife's birthday, I wanted to buy her a Louis Vuitton handbag from Sandton... a red patent one [that] cost 10,000 rand. [The] accused's wife came with me," he said.[12]
In further testimony, Agliotti said he had been a go-between for Selebi and mining tycoon, Brett Kebble, who wanted Selebi to stop an investigation into his company and have charges against his father Roger dropped.[12]
Selebi was found guilty of corruption on 2 July 2010, but not guilty of further charges of perverting the course of justice.[23]
Judge Meyer Joffe dismissed the defence's argument and said prosecutors had proven that Selebi had received money from Agliotti.[23]
"Having due regard to the poor quality of the accused's evidence, the accused's denial of receipt of the payment is not reasonably possibly true," Judge Joffe said.[23]
Furthermore, Judge Joffe found that Selebi had shown "complete contempt for the truth", including falsely accusing a witness of lying during the trial.[23]
"It is never pleasant to make an adverse credibility finding against a witness. It stigmatises the witness as a liar, a person of low moral fibre. It is a stigma that remains forever. It is so much more unpleasant to make such a finding against the person at the head of SAPS," Judge Joffe said,[23] adding that Selebi had a low moral fibre and cannot be relied upon."
Selebi was slated to be sentenced on 15 July, but the non-availability of character witnesses caused a postponement to 2 August 2010.[24]
He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on 3 August 2010.[25]
Selebi was released on R20,000 ($2,746) bail while his lawyers prepare an appeal. That process is likely to take between eight months and a year to complete.[26]
| Preceded by John George Fivaz |
National Commissioner of the South African Police Service 2000–2009 (on leave from 1/2008) |
Succeeded by Bheki Cele |