A report in the New Age this morning revealed that Jackie Selebi had not been to Steve Biko Hospital in Pretoria for a week – but it didn’t take long for someone to find out that he is now receiving private treatment elsewhere.

Despite the fact that Selebi was supposed to be on dialysis every two days at the state-run Steve Biko Academic Hospital because he reportedly has very little money, Steve Biko Academic Hospital’s CEO, Dr Ernest Kenoshi, confirmed to Eyewitness News a little while ago that Selebi has been transferred to the Jakaranda Hospital in Pretoria, where treatment will cost about R75 000 a month. Kenoshi confirmed that Selebi was somehow now covering his own medical fees.

Selebi, who was serving a 15-year prison sentence on corruption charges, is suffering from end-stage renal disease, but owes the state R17 million in legal costs and medical fees.

Yesterday, National Police Commissioner Ria Piyega’s office said the Commissioner hadn’t decided whether to claim back the R17 million.

The New Age felt that the “only other explanation [for Selebi now accessing private treatment] was that Selebi may have decided to use his police medical aid to access treatment elsewhere.”

[Sources: EWN, NewAge]