CovOps
Location : Ether-Sphere Job/hobbies : Irrationality Exterminator Humor : Über Serious
| Subject: S.African police chief on leave in latest graft case Sat Jan 12, 2008 4:51 pm | |
| PRETORIA (Reuters) - South African President Thabo Mbeki on Saturday put national police chief Jackie Selebi on extended leave in the latest high-level corruption case to rock the country's ruling party.
Mbeki, who had stood behind Selebi despite calls for his sacking, made the announcement a day after prosecutors said they would charge Selebi with corruption, fraud, money laundering and racketeering. Selebi has denied any wrongdoing.
The African National Congress has been hit by several cases of corruption, one involving its new leader, Jacob Zuma, who will be tried for graft later this year.
Zuma appealed for unity in his first public address to the African National Congress at celebrations marking its 96th anniversary, vowing to act against anyone who tried to undermine the party, which is trying to recover from the worst rifts in its history.
The decision to charge Selebi is likely to raise the political temperature in South Africa, where a bruising leadership battle and the resulting splits have unnerved investors. Mbeki lost that race to Zuma.
Zuma called for smooth working relations with Mbeki's government but also issued a warning.
"ANC members outside government will not be allowed to undermine those in the government. Those deployed in government cannot undermine the ANC. Should this happen, we will take very serious action," Zuma told thousands of supporters.
Zuma's backers have accused Mbeki's backers of mounting a political campaign to undermine him.
Link _________________ Anarcho-Capitalist, AnCaps Forum, Ancapolis, OZschwitz Contraband “The state calls its own violence law, but that of the individual, crime.”-- Max Stirner "Remember: Evil exists because good men don't kill the government officials committing it." -- Kurt Hofmann |
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