THE South Gauteng High Court is expected to hear the testimony of former Hyundai boss Billy Rautenbach, who allegedly paid convicted drug dealer Glenn Agliotti 100000 to get the assistance of former police commissioner Jackie Selebi.
In his testimony in Selebi’s trial for corruption and defeating the ends of justice, Agliotti last month said he met Rautenbach in Zimbabwe in 2005 after he had heard that Agliotti was connected to Selebi.
Rautenbach had been on the run on fraud and tax-evasion charges and a warrant of arrest had been issued. Last month, Rautenbach was sentenced to pay a R40m fine in terms of a plea agreement in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.
Agliotti told the court that he arranged a meeting between Selebi and Rautenbach’s lawyer in Sandton and he said Selebi got information for Rautenbach on whether an international arrest warrant had been issued against him. Agliotti said Selebi knew that 30000 of the money he had received was from Rautenbach.
On Tuesday, the former national director of public prosecutions, Vusi Pikoli, told the court that Selebi asked him why the Scorpions were not dropping the charges against Rautenbach. Pikoli said Selebi told him he was in possession of a letter that could embarrass the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Agliotti also said that Rautenbach told him he had information incriminating former NPA head Bulelani Ngcuka that Selebi could use. Rautenbach gave him a file that contained a letter from the NPA addressed to Rautenbach’s attorney in London, signed by Ngcuka, extorting a bribe.
The prosecution has called in 13 witnesses in its efforts to prove that Selebi received payments from Agliotti, Rautenbach and slain mining magnate Brett Kebble and his company JCI, in return for favours and protection. Selebi has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In his plea explanation, Selebi said he was being prosecuted because he supported the dissolution of the crime unit the Scorpions, which fell under the command of the NPA, and because he had made discoveries of alleged wrongdoing by Pikoli and Ngcuka.
Selebi said Pikoli had obtained “material gratification” through his wife from the JCI in an improper way. Selebi said the gratification consisted of shares in Simmer & Jack through Vulisango.
Selebi also accused Ngcuka of attempting to extort a bribe from Rautenbach’s lawyer.
Defence adv ocate Jaap Cilliers said on Tuesday the prosecution had indicated to him that it would finalise its case early next week.
mabuzae@bdfm.co.za