Sundaytimes Online
Monday, November 20, 2006
Safety and Security Minister Charles Nqakula will brief the Cabinet on whether the arrest of businessman Glenn Agliotti has implications for the position of Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi.
Chief government spokesman Themba Maseko told the Sunday Times that the Cabinet had last week considered the furore around Selebi's alleged friendship with Agliotti and had decided there was nothing amiss.
"The fact that he (Agliotti) may or may not be a friend of the National Commissioner does not necessarily, automatically translate into an offence committed by the National Commissioner," he said.
Maseko said the Cabinet had not been aware of Agliotti's then imminent arrest when it considered the relationship.
He said Nqakula would be briefed on the latest developments and would brief the Cabinet on the implications.
Maseko said Selebi had assured his Cabinet colleagues that he had been friendly with Agliotti but that that friendship "did not extend into anything sinister or illegal".
After its meeting last week, the Cabinet said in a statement:
"Government wishes to express its confidence in the Commissioner, noting that the allegations were investigated by the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) and found to be baseless. The Minister of Safety and Security is dealing with this matter and has stated his willingness to consider any new information that could be brought forward in this regard. We call on all parties to resist the temptation of seeking cheap publicity at the expense of an innocent person".