Glenn Agliotti arrives at the South Gauteng High Court before testifying in Jackie Selebi's corruption trial.
Photograph by: DANIEL BORN

Advocates accused of playing to the press

Related Multimedia

AUDIO
What’s on the Agliotti tape

VIDEO
Political Notebook#4 Selebi case saga

Related Articles

• Agliotti finishes testifying
• Agliotti protests his innocence
• Selebi 'wanted Scorpions to go'

Agliotti, a convicted druglord, has been in the witness stand for 11 gruelling days. He was the first of the state's witnesses to be called to testify that Selebi had accepted bribes for favours during his time as police commissioner.

Agliotti made a deal with the state that will gain him indemnity from prosecution if presiding judge Meyer Joffe deems his testimony to be "frank and honest".

Dianne Muller, Agliotti's former fiancee, is the next witness due to take the stand.

Agliotti claims Selebi had gone to Muller's Midrand office to collect envelopes packed with cash.

The gangster told the court that Selebi had telephoned him on September 28 2005, the day after Kebble's murder. Agliotti has claimed the shooting was an assisted suicide.

Agliotti testified that he was on his way to the mortuary to identify Kebble's body - the mining magnate's father was overseas at the time - when Selebi called and asked for money.

Agliotti told the court that the day had been "very traumatic" and that he could not remember at exactly what time Selebi had called him: "I can only give a rough estimate of late morning, just before midday".

At this stage, defence advocate Jaap Cilliers told the court: "For the record, the accused denies he ever phoned you for a request of money."

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel then pointed to records of Agliotti's cellphone calls on the day in question.

"I have marked two numbers of two phone calls. One is at 11.50am that indicates an incoming call from [Selebi's] number to your number made in Sandton, and then at 14.21 there is an incoming call from [Selebi] in Selby," Nel said.

Before the court adjourned for the day, Joffe asked both counsel to "discuss among yourselves the way forward.

"I don't want personal remarks to get in the way of the trial.

"I don't need to tell you - speak among yourselves so we can proceed without any personal issues."

The two advocates have been bickering since the beginning of the trial and yesterday accused each other of "playing to the press". Joffe has reprimanded both for their "acrimonious behaviour."