Jackie Selebi

On 23 January 2015, after diagnoses of diabetes, kidney failure, and hypertension, Selebi died of a stroke, according to South African officials.

An 11-member medical parole advisory board met on 20 June 2012 and recommended the release of six offenders, including Selebi, who needed dialysis for kidney failure. Correctional Services Minister Sbu Ndebele made the announcement at a press conference in Pretoria. "Six offenders were recommended for medical parole. Of these, two of the offenders were respectively released on the 9th and 12 of July 2012," said Ndebele. Selebi was released on medical parole having served just 219 days of his fifteen-year sentence. He remained at home in Waterkloof where he received dialysis for his kidney illness until his death.

Selebi was released on R20,000 ($2,746) bail while his lawyers prepared an appeal. On 2 December 2011 the Supreme Court of Appeal unanimously rejected this appeal. Selebi collapsed at his Waterkloof home while watching the ruling on television. He began his fifteen-year prison term the following day.

In March of the same year, Selebi was also criticised for his suggestion to legalise prostitution and public drinking for the duration of the 2010 Soccer World Cup to be hosted in South Africa. Opposition political parties and Doctors For Life International expressed their dismay at Selebi's recommendation and called on parliament not to legalise prostitution or public drinking.

After several postponements, Selebi’s trial began in earnest on 8 April 2010, nearly two years after the charges were first laid.

Selebi was found guilty of corruption on 2 July 2010, but not guilty of further charges of defeating the ends of justice.

Selebi was slated to be sentenced on 15 July, but the non-availability of character witnesses caused a postponement to 2 August 2010. On 3 August 2010 he was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment.

He resigned both as National Police Commissioner and President of Interpol in 2008 when corruption charges were laid against him.

On 12 January 2008, President Thabo Mbeki effectively suspended Selebi via an "extended leave of absence," and appointed Timothy Charles Williams as acting national commissioner of police.

Selebi made his first appearance in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on 1 February 2008 on charges of corruption and defeating the ends of justice.

In 2007, Selebi was strongly criticised for responding to concern within the country over South Africa's rising crime rate with the comment "What's all the fuss about crime?"

On 10 September 2007, the National Prosecuting Authority issued a warrant of arrest for Selebi for corruption, fraud, racketeering and defeating the ends of justice.

In 2004, he was elected as president of Interpol, a post he held until 2008. During his time with Interpol, Selebi also served as Chair of the Anti-Landmine Conference, Oslo, Norway; Chair of Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster; and Chair - Human Rights Commission, United Nations, 54th Session.

In 2000, he was made national commissioner of the South African Police Service, a post he held until 2009. During that time, he was elected vice-president of Interpol (African region) in 2002, as post he held until 2004.

During the trial, convicted drugs smuggler, Glenn Agliotti told the court that he had paid Selebi over R1.2 million ($157,000; £98,000) in bribes since 2000.

In 1998, he was appointed Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pretoria, a post he held until 1999.

In 1998, Selebi received a Human Rights Award from the International Service for Human Rights.

From 1995 to 1998, Selebi served as the South African ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations.

Agliotti said he had first met Selebi in 1990, when he was the head of the ANC's Social Welfare department, responsible for the repatriation of expatriates back to South Africa.

In 1987 he was elected head of the African National Congress (ANC) Youth League while in exile in Zambia. In the same year, he was appointed to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ANC. In 1991 he was made responsible for the repatriation of ANC exiles back into South Africa, and was appointed head of the Department of Welfare of the ANC in 1993. In 1994 he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the ANC.

He was a representative of the Soviet Union's World Federation of Democratic Youth in Budapest, Hungary, from 1983 to 1987.

Jacob “Jackie” Sello Selebi (7 March 1950 – 23 January 2015) was the former national commissioner of the South African Police Service and the President of African National Congress Youth League 1987–1991, and a former president of Interpol. In January 2008, Selebi was put on extended leave as national police commissioner, and resigned as president of Interpol, after he was charged with corruption in his native South Africa. He was replaced as national commissioner in July 2009 by Bheki Cele. Selebi was found guilty of corruption on 2 July 2010 and sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment on 3 August 2010. His appeal against his sentence was rejected by the Supreme Court of Appeal on 2 December 2011, after the court unanimously ruled against him. However, he was released on medical parole in July 2012.