Selebi: finish and klaar

06 December 2011 - 01:50 By KHETHIWE CHELEMU, PERTUNIA RATSATSI and McKEED KOTLOLO
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Jackie Selebi at his sentencing. File photo.
Jackie Selebi at his sentencing. File photo.
Image: REUTERS

Five hours after his lawyers failed to win him a few more days of freedom, Jackie Selebi was taken from his private hospital bed to another in the infirmary of Pretoria Central prison.

The disgraced former national police commissioner was accompanied by his wife, Anne, in the ambulance that left Pretoria's Jacaranda Hospital through a rear gate just before 4pm.

Selebi was being taken to begin serving his 15-year jail sentence for corruption.

He was whisked away moments after his legal team rushed out of the hospital saying they were going to talk to the police's investigating officer and to the National Prosecuting Authority.

Selebi avoided the scores of journalists who had camped at the hospital's main entrance.

He had been admitted after collapsing on Friday after hearing that the Supreme Court of Appeal had upheld his conviction and sentence.

The Times understands that Selebi will be placed in a cell at Pretoria Central in the same section as Vlakplaas commander Eugene de Kock, and Janusz Walus and Clive Derby-Lewis, killers of SA Communist Party secretary-general Chris Hani, as soon as he has recovered from what was reportedly a stroke. A decision as to where to confine him permanently will be taken later.

Head of Correctional Services Zacharia Modise said Selebi would be detained with offenders of "good behaviour" and those about to be released.

A doctor was on hand to examine Selebi as soon as he arrived at the prison.

"We are going to keep him at this facility [the infirmary] until his condition improves," said Modise.

When Selebi arrived at the prison, a team of National Prosecuting Authority officials was waiting for him - but they had not been told that he would be driven in through a back entrance.

Armed with a committal warrant, the officials - including investigating officer Andrew Leask, of the now defunct Scorpions unit that had successfully prosecuted him - later emerged to confirm that they had handed Selebi over to prison officials.

Said Leask: "He is in custody and will be kept at the prison's medical facility for assessment and care. He will be transferred, probably, only after some medical tests."

Leask said he was glad that the court process was over. He said Selebi might be transferred to Johannesburg prison, the prison stipulated on the committal warrant.

Earlier, Selebi's wife arrived at the Jacaranda Hospital and spent his last few hours of freedom with him. She will now be able to visit him only between 9am and 3pm on weekends and public holidays.

Yesterday morning, Selebi's lawyers failed to convince the registrar of the Johannesburg High Court, Viven Pather, to extend his R20000 bail.

Selebi's advocate, Fanus Coetzee, and his wife, attorney Wynanda, presented a medical certificate to Pather detailing Selebi's illness.

Pather did not grant the extension. He said the investigating officer would have to go to the hospital to investigate his condition.

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