-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- South Africa 's embattled police commissioner resigned Sunday as president of Interpol , a day after he took an extended leave of absence from his police duties , the international crime-fighting agency said in a statement . South Africa police commissioner Jackie Selebi , facing charges of corruption , has stepped down as boss of Interpol . Interpol 's Secretary-General Ronald Noble received a resignation letter on Sunday from Jackie Selebi , who is facing charges of corruption related to his role as police commissioner , the agency said . The charges are not related to his leadership role in Interpol . In the letter , Selebi said he was resigning because he did not wish the allegations against him `` to bring the good work of this august body into disrepute . '' `` Based on my experience of working with Mr. Selebi in his capacity as delegate , vice president and ultimately president of the organization , he has always conducted himself and acted in a way to enhance global security and police co-operation worldwide , '' Noble said in a statement . As to the charges Selebi faces , Noble said : `` Any such allegations should be prosecuted thoroughly , and the proper manner is for charges to be brought promptly before a court of law and not through media leaks and speculation . '' On Saturday , South African President Thabo Mbeki told a news conference in Pretoria , South Africa , that Selebi had been given an `` extended leave of absence '' from his police duties , but that he was not being sacked . Mbeki said Selebi supported the decision -- taken midnight Friday and effective immediately -- to temporarily step down and that an acting commissioner had already been appointed to take his place . The National Prosecuting Authority said it will charge the police chief with `` corruption and defeating the administration of justice , '' Tladi Tladi , a spokesman for the agency told CNN . According to widespread media reports , the upcoming charges hinge on Selebi 's dealings with Glen Agliotti , a convicted drug smuggler . The suspended police chief is alleged to have accepted at least 1.2 million Rand -LRB- $ 177,000 -RRB- from Agliotti over a 5-year period , the South African daily Cape Argus reported . In return Selebi allegedly handed over confidential intelligence reports from the British authorities relating to Agliotti 's suspected drug-trafficking activities , according to the newspaper . Tladi said the corruption charges were linked to Agliotti `` to a certain extent . '' Agliotti recently received a 10-year suspended prison sentence in a drug case after entering into a plea bargain . He is also accused of involvement in the 2005 killing of mining magnate Brett Kebble , according to South African media reports . A court on Friday rejected an application to halt the prosecution by Selebi , who has been under investigation for around two years . Mbeki denied that he had been too slow in dealing with the fallout from the charges . `` I have said many times that if there was anyone who came to me with information indicating that the national commissioner had behaved improperly then I would act on such information . No one has come to me with such information , '' Mbeki said . E-mail to a friend