Selebi gets 15 years

Selebi gets 15 years

www.iol.co.za

On Tuesday morning the Johannesburg High Court sentenced disgraced former National Commissioner of Police Jackie Selebi to 15 years imprisonment.

Judge Meyer Joffe said Selebi failed to show any remorse, had lied and manufactured evidence, and embarrassed the police service.

(visit the link for the full news article)

He was the head of Interpol. What more can be said? He "double-dipped" his expense accounts, claiming both from Interpol and the SAPS for the same expenses.
He was "very good friends" with Glenn Agliotti, a known crime boss who also bribed him.
There is SO much behind this story, i'm astounded that he has actually been found guilty. A small hope for some measure of justice, which is very rare in this country lately.

www.iol.co.za
(visit the link for the full news article)

woohoo! Excellent news!

The judicial and media process is still working in South Africa, much to the ruling party's dismay.

Right now they are trying to pass a law to muzzle the media ...

Edit to add a work colleagues comment:
"That's one for the good guys"

[edit on 3/8/2010 by deltaalphanovember]

Originally posted by Whine Flu

selebi? thats a pokemon right?

hahah Awesome response, love it

Back on topic, here in SA we love to see when corruption gets punished, but even though this is a victory in our supposed democracy there are still double standards when it comes to politicians and the ANC.

What's pokemon? And what relevance does it have to South Africa /interpol / justice / reality?

The only problem with this "moral victory" is the appeals process, which is even more convaluted than the trial.

As an aside. Selebi's defense cost him over R14 000 000. Which was paid by ... South Africa. Him having been found guilty means he has to pay it back. Now his lawyer apparently claimed that he could afford a fine of R500 000!!!! This for someone who is "living on handouts" and has a pension/ salary of only R20 000.

I wonder how much that devious criminal scum actually made?

As was pointed in mitigation of sentencing, where he was said to understand the "lower ranks", he was spending more in a single shopping trip than constables earn in a year!

The amounts are unbelievable.

reply to post by harryhaller


As much as I would love see SA get back to a true government of it's people, I can't see how it's ever going to happen. The ANC has effectively ruined most of Africa with it's many other tentacles of Marxist groups. I fear it's only going to get worse.
This trial and what happens to others on trial for corruption look more to be 'show trials' with little teeth to actually reduce the corruption.

Zindo

reply to post by ZindoDoone


It's not the marxism i fear friend, it's the capitalism that is going to ruin us all.

More information on the sentencing from IOL.

"But unfortunately for the accused, it goes further than an absence of remorse. The accused lied and fabricated evidence in an endeavour to escape the consequences of his conduct. By so doing, he eroded much of the sympathy that one could have had with him."
Judge Joffe told Selebi he was an embarrassment five times over - to the office of the national commissioner of police that he had occupied at the time of the crime; to those who had appointed him to it; to the SA Police Service officers he had led; to all "right-thinking citizens"; and, to the court.
"It is inconceivable that the person who occupied the office of national commissioner of police could have been such a stranger to the truth," said Judge Joffe.

Emphasis mine.

"It is not possible to measure the level of embarrassment to policemen and women who are in the frontline of the fight against crime, who daily put their lives on the line for their fellow citizens when confronted by the reality that their former national commissioner jettisons the truth when he thinks it will advance his case," said the judge.

This is sadly a very typical example of our current leadership. It's an embarrassment to be sure.