Rautenbach denies wrongdoing

SANDRA LIEBERUM

JOHANNESBURG - Not even half of the 66 witnesses listed for the Jackie Selebi trial have testified – and not many more are being called to testify.

The Citizen has been informed that the prosecution will close its case against the former national commissioner in a week’s time.

Yesterday, former fugitive Muller Conrad “Billy” Rautenbach testified: “I never requested that anything unlawful be done.”

But, added Rautenbach, at a meeting outside SA, John Stratton (Brett Kebble’s JCI right-hand man) who accompanied Agliotti, asked “if I had any dirt on (Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani) Ngcuka”.

Rautenbach said he had tried for years to sort out problems related to Hyundai and SA BD Hauliers. As early as 2000 he met with NPA representatives after correspondence between his lawyer and Bulelani Ngcuka.

“I wanted the issue in South Africa resolved,” he said. But added that he “felt used” as the two representatives seemed “more interested in cross-border intelligence” and then the NPA stopped contact, so when he was introduced to Glenn Agliotti as “a man with connections”, he and his legal advisers decided to use the opportunity. Agliotti wanted a R1-million fee, but Rautenbach paid $100 000.

Previously Agliotti told the court he had asked Selebi to sort out Rautenbach’s arrest warrant and gave him some of the $100 000.

In a statement, Rautenbach said: “The fee paid to Agliotti was paid to him personally and was never intended to benefit any third party.”