Arrest warrant out on president of Interpol

SOUTH African prosecutors said yesterday they had obtained an arrest warrant for national police chief and Interpol president Jackie Selebi, as one of his friends appeared in court on murder charges.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) made clear it would not immediately act on the warrant pending a review of the case by the newly appointed acting head of public prosecutions.

NPA spokesman Tlali Tlali refused to give details of the warrant, saying they would “be made public at the appropriate time”.

However reports said the accusations levelled against Mr Selebi included corruption, fraud, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice.

Following earlier leaks to the media that a warrant had been issued, but not yet executed, the NPA confirmed it had obtained permission on September 10 to arrest Mr Selebi.

A separate search warrant was obtained on September 14, the NPA said in a statement.

The warrants were issued a matter of days before President Thabo Mbeki, said to be an ally of Mr Selebi, decided to suspend the director of public prosecutions, Vusi Pikoli.

The official explanation for the suspension was an “irretrievable breakdown” in Mr Pikoli’s relationship with the justice minister.

However, newspaper reports have alleged Mr Mbeki acted against Mr Pikoli after he learnt about the arrest warrant for Mr Selebi.

The confirmation of the warrants came on the same day that businessman Glenn Agliotti, whom Mr Selebi has acknowledged as a friend, appeared in court accused of the mafia-style murder of a mining magnate in 2005.

Last month, Mr Selebi vowed he would never be arrested and said he was “not bothered at all”.