CONVICTED drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti has admitted that he does lie when this is beneficial to him.
CONVICTED drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti has admitted that he does lie when this is beneficial to him.
"There are certain instances when I lie," he said in the high court in Johannesburg yesterday in the corruption trial of former police commissioner Jackie Selebi.
Cross-examining Agliotti, defence lawyer Jaap Cilliers SC contended it was clear Agliotti had lied to get financial benefit from his relationship with Selebi.
He cited a $1million (R7,3million) "consultancy fee" Agliotti charged slain mining magnate Brett Kebble for access to Selebi.
Cilliers said Agliotti had admitted to saying things that were "not factually correct" in an affidavit to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on the investigation into Selebi in January last year.
"We know that you do not hesitate to lie if you can gain financially... You can lie to authorities...", he said.
Agliotti, dressed in a dark suit and sky blue tie, nodded his head slowly before saying "yes".
Agliotti said extracts of his affidavit to the NIA did not make sense to him because he had been drinking when it was written up.
"I had a bit of wine to drink because none of it really makes sense. I can't really make sense of it."
Agliotti made a deal with the state in the Selebi case and will receive indemnity from prosecution on charges including corruption, money laundering, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice if he testifies "frankly and honestly".
The court heard that Agliotti stated his belief on several occasions that he had never bribed Selebi.
"I never got any tenders awarded - and that for me is bribery."
He said there were two occasions on which he asked Selebi for "favours", which he did not grant.
"There was a request to lift Billy Rautenbach's warrant for his arrest and all I asked was that we be placed on the short list for a [SA Police Service] tender for the company [Xantium]."
Rautenbach has consequently made a deal with the state - on behalf of his company, SA Botswana Hauliers - to pay a R40million fine on 326 tax evasion charges, after being on the run from South African authorities for a decade.
He is also on the witness list in the Selebi case.
Xantium never made the short list for the SAPS tender bid which eventually went to Mecer. - Sapa
'I DO LIE WHEN IT SUITS ME'
CONVICTED drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti has admitted that he does lie when this is beneficial to him.
CONVICTED drug trafficker Glenn Agliotti has admitted that he does lie when this is beneficial to him.
"There are certain instances when I lie," he said in the high court in Johannesburg yesterday in the corruption trial of former police commissioner Jackie Selebi.
Cross-examining Agliotti, defence lawyer Jaap Cilliers SC contended it was clear Agliotti had lied to get financial benefit from his relationship with Selebi.
He cited a $1million (R7,3million) "consultancy fee" Agliotti charged slain mining magnate Brett Kebble for access to Selebi.
Cilliers said Agliotti had admitted to saying things that were "not factually correct" in an affidavit to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) on the investigation into Selebi in January last year.
"We know that you do not hesitate to lie if you can gain financially... You can lie to authorities...", he said.
Agliotti, dressed in a dark suit and sky blue tie, nodded his head slowly before saying "yes".
Agliotti said extracts of his affidavit to the NIA did not make sense to him because he had been drinking when it was written up.
"I had a bit of wine to drink because none of it really makes sense. I can't really make sense of it."
Agliotti made a deal with the state in the Selebi case and will receive indemnity from prosecution on charges including corruption, money laundering, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice if he testifies "frankly and honestly".
The court heard that Agliotti stated his belief on several occasions that he had never bribed Selebi.
"I never got any tenders awarded - and that for me is bribery."
He said there were two occasions on which he asked Selebi for "favours", which he did not grant.
"There was a request to lift Billy Rautenbach's warrant for his arrest and all I asked was that we be placed on the short list for a [SA Police Service] tender for the company [Xantium]."
Rautenbach has consequently made a deal with the state - on behalf of his company, SA Botswana Hauliers - to pay a R40million fine on 326 tax evasion charges, after being on the run from South African authorities for a decade.
He is also on the witness list in the Selebi case.
Xantium never made the short list for the SAPS tender bid which eventually went to Mecer. - Sapa