INLSA

Glen Agliotti. Photo: Jennifer Bruce

While Jackie Selebi languishes on a sick bed at Steve Biko Academic hospital, his one-time friend Glenn Agliotti frets about being not being able to play golf.

The convicted drug trafficker with a love for the finer things in life was booked off golf in October, with a doctor instructing him to stop playing the sport until March.

While he found this “frustrating”, he has remained silent on the decision by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) not to prosecute him over his corrupt dealings with the former national police commissioner

Johannesburg High Court Judge Meyer Joffe had denied Agliotti indemnity, despite the section 204 agreement with the State. The judge found him to be an unsatisfactory witness, after his testimony against the man who once described him as “my friend, finish and klaar”.

It has come to light that the NPA took a decision not to prosecute Agliotti, citing insufficient evidence as its reason.

“We are aware that he indeed gave self-incriminating evidence during Selebi’s trial, but the law prevents us from using the same (evidence) against him.

“It should also be noted that even his own evidence subsequent to the section 204 warning would be inadmissible, as the Criminal Procedure Act, which regulates criminal trials, stipulates that such evidence shall not be admissible against him if (he is) charged for the same offence,” NPA spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said on Thursday.

Agliotti declined to comment, referring all questions to his lawyer.

Agliotti has taken to Twitter to vent his frustration about his inability to play golf.

“Can’t play golf for 6 weeks so passed (p*****) off!,” the man christened “the landlord” by underworld cronies tweeted on December 25.

Two days later, he tweeted that he felt “ok just frustrated with my arm no golf till March so just rehab work on my arm”.

With the NPA deciding not to prosecute him for corruption, lady luck has struck twice.

Agliotti walked away from the Johannesburg High Court a free man in November 2010 after the NPA failed to prove his guilt relating to mining magnate Brett Kebble’s murder.

He has now avoided being prosecuted for his corrupt dealings with Selebi, largely due to the section 204 deal that he instructed his lawyers to arrange when he realised the screws were being tightened on Selebi.

In his testimony, he laid bare the mutually beneficial relationship that saw him giving Selebi gifts and payments of at least R1.2 million over a year-and-a-half, starting in 2004.

In exchange for the cash injections, Selebi turned a blind eye to evidence that Agliotti had been involved in the transportation of mandrax, with a street value of R105m, seized by the police.

Selebi also supplied Agliotti with crucial information, warning him of investigations against him, including a UK report which indicated that UK authorities were on to Agliotti.

Agliotti’s role had also been to get Selebi to meet the Kebble mining family because they had problems with an investigative company, the Associated Intelligence Network.

Agliotti also facilitated payments from Zimbabwean businessman Billy Rautenbach to Selebi and, in turn, the former top cop influenced investigations into Rautenbach.

Selebi was later found guilty of corruption in contravening section 4(1)(a) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act 12, of 2004. - The Star