Last week, a court ruled over one of South Africa’s biggest corruption scandals, which would certainly provide enough material for another Hollywood trilogy, and involves a murdered mining magnate, a convicted drug smuggler involved in organised crime and a high ranking police official.
Jackie Selebi, former commissioner of the South African police service and president of Interpol, has been a controversial figure ever since he downplayed South Africa’s crime problems – “What’s all the fuss about?” - and proposed to legalise prostitution during the World Cup. In 2008, Selebi was suspended from the police service after being accused of having links to organised crime and accepting more than R1.2 million in bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye on drug smuggling.
Two years after he was first charged for corruption, a Johannesburg court found the former police commissioner guilty.
Selebi was fined to pay back the bribes plus interest (around R150 000), but this is unlikely to hurt the multi millionaire much. However, he is also expected to pay back the legal and court fees, amounting to R14.5 million, which the State and hence the South African taxpayer has paid for him.... slightly more painful.
But far more painful should be the jail sentence which Selebi faces: according to South African Law, a corruption conviction for amounts over R500 000 carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
So far, it seems as if justice is indeed not blind.
But unfortunately while justice may have good eyesight, those making the law may be in need of an eye test…
A corruption conviction for amounts over R500 000 carries a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. However, the monetary amount is reduced to R10 000 if the accused is a law enforcement official, and the maximum jail sentence is 25 years.
Hang on... read again!
The sentence is lower for law enforcement officials than for ordinary citizens.
While every person in South Africa has no limit on corruption charges and a minimum sentence, legal officials get a reduced penalty and a maximum time they can be convicted to spend in prison. So the people, who are supposed to enforce the law, get off lighter than everyone else...
Is it just me or does this not sound right... should this not be exactly the other way round? Should the people who are appointed by society to protect and enforce its laws not be subject to higher or at least the same charges as ordinary people?
It is clearly a good sign that a high ranking official did not manage to avoid legal charges and has been convicted for corruption. But while justice may not have eye sight problems, lawmakers in South Africa should definitely make an appointment with an optician!
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