Mbeki accused of blocking police chief's arrest

President Thabo Mbeki was accused on Oct. 5 of obstructing justice by intervening to block the prosecution of South Africa's police chief and head of Interpol, Jackie Selebi, over links to organized crime and undermining a murder investigation. The official opposition described the issue as a "fully-fledged constitutional crisis" after it was revealed that warrants for Selebi's arrest for corruption, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice were quashed days after Mbeki removed the director of public prosecutions, Vusi Pikoli, from office for issuing them. Critics said the move was politically motivated to protect Selebi, a powerful figure in the ruling African National Congress. They said it was astonishing that the president would suspend the DPP while allowing a police chief facing serious criminal charges, including deflecting an investigation into the murder of a corrupt mining magnate by the boss of a criminal syndicate, to remain in his post. The official opposition, the Democratic Alliance, accused Mbeki of undermining the law. "The president's interventions amount to a clear obstruction of the course of justice as well as a violation of the constitutionally entrenched principle of the separation of powers," said Sandra Botha, the party's leader in parliament. "The president's actions appear to have undermined both the letter and the spirit of the law. "Now that the national prosecutions authority (NPA) has confirmed that warrants were issued for the arrest of Commissioner Selebi, there is no excuse why he should remain in office any longer. Selebi must either step down voluntarily, or the president must remove him from office." A Johannesburg newspaper, the Mail and Guardian, reported yesterday that Mbeki intervened at least three times to try and block an investigation of Selebi. But Pikoli pressed ahead and issued warrants last month without consulting the president. When Mbeki found out he removed the DPP from office and ordered an inquiry into his conduct. The new acting director of public prosecutions, Mokotedi Mpshe, confirmed publicly for the first time today that the warrants were issued but said he had decided to cancel them pending the inquiry. However, the NPA said that the investigation into Selebi would continue. Mbeki has refused to answer direct questions about the issue but his office has denied there was any attempt to protect the police chief from prosecution.