By Our Reporter
CAPE TOWN (CONVERSEER) – There was drama at the Madlanga Commission as furious Justice Mbuyiseni Madlanga called North West businessman Suleiman Carrim’s legal team to order for accusing him of prejudging their application to postpone the testimony.
Carrim’s legal team requested a postponement of his testimony at the Madlanga Commission after investigators uncovered evidence of two additional payments to Medicare24 that he had not disclosed.
Carrim’s legal team requested that they be given some time to go through the cash transactions documents between Carrim, controversial businessman Vusi “Cat” Matlala and Hangwani Morgan Maumela, and asked for a stand-down until 12h00 to prepare the application.
The evidence leader revealed that Carrim received over R332 million in municipal payments to his companies while withholding R2.12 million in undisclosed transfers from Tasmika Construction to Medicare24.
Evidence leaders at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry confronted Carrim over late-disclosed bank statements and payments involving his companies Tasmika Construction and Medicare24.
The challenge arose during cross-examination on Tuesday, as Advocate Matthew Chaskalson pressed Carrim on why key transactions were not mentioned in his witness statement on Monday.
The core dispute centred on two large payments from Tasmika Construction into Medicare24: R1 million on June 27, 2024, and R1.12 million on October 7, 2024, totalling over R2 million beyond previously disclosed amounts.
Evidence leaders discovered these while reviewing Medicare24 bank statements on Monday evening and informed the Commission on Tuesday morning, to verify SAPS inflows and Carrim’s claimed waiver of 10% entitlements under a loan agreement.
Counsel provided Carrim’s team with four months of bank statements for Tasmika Construction and Medicare24, arguing the delay stemmed from Carrim’s late statement filing due on Wednesday instead of the previous week and his failure to disclose the payments or his access to the accounts.
They noted that any of these issues would have allowed earlier sharing. An electronic spreadsheet with detailed municipal payments to Carrim-linked companies was emailed the day before, but only an infographic summary on page 505 (served Friday) was to be referenced.
The infographic summarises payments from municipalities where Carrim serves as ANC treasurer, totalling around R332 million to R336 million to his companies, with the full spreadsheet offered for verification only.
Counsel emphasised no line items would be used in proceedings, allowing Carrim to check totals or dispute entries independently.
Hundreds of pages brandished by Advocate Rafik Bhana were dismissed as irrelevant beyond the summary.
(MDN)
