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Man investigating South Africa's top cop is arrested

The senior investigator probing corruption allegations against South Africa's top policeman has been arrested amid concerns that internal political tensions are leading to a standoff between the country's elite anti-graft unit and police.

Gerrie Nel was arrested on Tuesday at his Pretoria home on charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice. He was granted bail of 10,000 rand (US$1,500) in the Pretoria magistrates court on Wednesday.

Nel, regional head of the special crime-fighting body known as the Scorpions, was leading the investigation into national police commissioner Jackie Selebi.

Mokotedi Mpshe, acting head of the National Prosecuting Authority, which oversees the Scorpions, said he was shocked and concerned at the police action.

He told Talk Radio 702 that the charges related to offenses allegedly committed by Nel between 2004 and 2005 and that his arrest would not affect the Selebi inquiry.

Selebi, who heads the drive to bring down murder and rape in one of the world's most crime-ridden countries and currently holds the largely ceremonial post of president of Interpol, is accused of corruption, fraud and racketeering. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Last year President Thabo Mbeki suspended the head of the prosecuting authority, Vusi Pikoli, soon after Nel obtained a warrant for Selebi's arrest. The warrant was later withdrawn amid accusations that Mbeki was protecting Selebi, a close ally.

Mpshe has been under mounting pressure to disclose the authority's decision on whether Selebi will be charged. In the radio interview he said the decision would be revealed before the end of the month.

But now there are concerns of political interference delaying action against Selebi. The opposition African Christian Democratic Party said it hoped Nel's arrest would not "intimidate" the prosecuting authority from proceeding against Selebi.

Dianne Kohler Barnard from the Democratic Alliance said Nel's arrest was a "witch hunt to protect Selebi."

She said she was concerned that Nel had been arrested while Selebi remained free.

"This arrest gives the impression that the wheels of justice seem to turn much faster in Nel's case, yet drag on forever with Selebi," she said.

Mbeki has also been accused of using the authority in his battle with his former deputy Jacob Zuma, who is due to stand trial in August.

Charges of corruption, money laundering, fraud and racketeering were laid against Zuma, a week after he trounced Mbeki in the race for the leadership of the African National Congress (ANC) last month.

Zuma allies accuse prosecutors of "Hollywood-style operations" and claim he has been singled out unfairly over his alleged involvement in a multimillion dollar arms deal scandal.

The Scorpions have been at the center of a dispute between the Justice Department, which the prosecuting authority falls under, and the police over who should control their activities. Police officials have complained Scorpions investigators were overstepping their mandate and infringing police territory.

The ANC decided at their conference last month that the unit should be moved from the authority to the police in a move that has been widely criticized. It was unclear when this would go into effect.

"The sooner the ongoing battle between the Scorpions and the police is resolved, the better it will be for South Africa," said Patricia de Lille, leader of the Independent Democrats.
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