South Africa’s ex-national police chief found guilty in long-running corruption case

S.Africa’s ex-top cop found guilty of corruption

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s former national police chief has been convicted of corruption after a lengthy, high-profile trial.

According to testimony, former chief Jackie Selebi had gone on shopping sprees with a drug smuggler and did favors for a fugitive fraud suspect. He was found guilty Friday.

The case has been a chief exhibit in a national debate over whether corruption and political meddling is undermining the fight against crime in South Africa. Rates of murder and other violent offenses are among the highest in the world.

Selebi, a former Interpol president, had pleaded innocent. He said evidence for the charges were fabricated by enemies who wanted to punish him for his criticism of an elite and now defunct crime-fighting unit.