South Africa’s suspended police chief Jackie Selebi has been charged formally today with corruption and “defeating the course of justice”.

Dressed in a grey suit and pink tie, Mr Selebi, who this month had to step down as head of Interpol, arrived at Randburg regional court outside Johannesburg to be charged formally for the first time since a scandal over his links with top underworld figures erupted towards the end of last year.

The prosecutor read out the charges: corruption, accepting bribes worth 1.2 million rand (£80,000) and defeating the course of justice. Mr Selebi was not required to plead, but has previously denied the charges.

Magistrate agreed to postpone the case until June 26, to give prosecutors more time to complete investigations.

Mr Selebi, a close ally of President Thabo Mbeki, who has been accused of trying to protect him, arrived in an unmarked car, stripped of the trappings that go with his title of National Police Commissioner — a post from which he was suspended when national prosecutors confirmed that they would charge him with corruption in early January.

He waved and smiled to the media before taking his seat inside the court. In an affidavit requesting bail, he promised not to interfere with witnesses or evidence. “I maintain I am innocent of the alleged offences and will plead not guilty to the charges,” he said.

At the heart of the allegations, which have convulsed South African politics, is Mr Selebi’s relationship with Glen Agliotti, a convicted drug smuggler, who is charged also with the murder of a prominent mining magnate, Brett Kebble, who was gunned down in a Russian mafia-style hit in 2005.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which has also brought corruption charges against Mr Mbeki’s arch rival, Jacob Zuma, has alleged that Mr Agliotti paid bribes and gifts to the police commissioner in exchange for turning a blind eye to drugs trafficking.

Last year President Mbeki suspended Vusi Pikoli, the NPA chief prosecutor, after he issued a warrant for the arrest of Mr Selebi, a senior member of the ruling African National Congress. Commentators said that he did so because the police chief was taking his side in a bitter battle for the ANC presidency — a vote Mr Zuma subsequently won.

Mr Zuma’s supporters in the ANC have said that they intend to close down the NPA and its investigating arm, the FBI-style Scorpions unit, and merge them with the national police force under the auspices of the Justice Ministry.

Times Recommends

• Experts baffled by vanishing sea lions
• CIA caught in a dirty and secretive war
• Double life of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab