Mapaballo Borotho
- Suleiman Carrim has approached the Johannesburg High Court to block the Madlanga Commission from forcing him to testify, claiming the subpoena is unlawful.
- He has been implicated in alleged suspicious payments linked to Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and a cancelled R360 million SAPS contract, which he denies.
- Meanwhile, the commission has ruled that Witness F’s WhatsApp messages will be disclosed despite objections from his legal team.
An ANC-linked businessman from the North West, Suleiman Carrim, has launched an urgent court bid to prevent the Madlanga Commission from compelling him to testify.
Carrim argues that the regulation notice issued to him is unlawful and unconstitutional. He has asked the Johannesburg High Court to review and set aside the subpoena process.
He is among those implicated at the Madlanga Commission in connection with suspicious payments linked to alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
The commission previously heard a testimony from a secret witness who alleged that Carrim acted as a middleman between Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and controversial businessman Matlala, in relation to the now-cancelled R360 million SAPS contract.
The witness further claimed that a company linked to Carrim received payments totalling R1.5 million.
Carrim has strongly denied any wrongdoing, insisting that he invested R10 million into the failed tender.
Several witnesses, including Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, have also implicated him.
Carrim is also seeking the recall of witnesses who testified against him at the commission probing allegations of political interference.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Madlanga Commission ruled that the WhatsApp messages of Witness F will be revealed. This comes after his legal team attempted to postpone the hearings following last week’s delay.
His lawyers argued that the witness could incriminate himself if he testifies or if the messages are made public, potentially affecting his right to a fair trial.
However, chief evidence leader Advocate Mathew Chaskalson dismissed this, saying the fair-trial argument is a non-starter, as the witness may simply refuse to answer self-incriminating questions.
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