PRETORIA - North West businessman and ANC leader Suleiman Carrim has lodged an application for his testimony before the Madlanga Commission to be heard in-camera.
Lodging the application on Friday, his lawyer Kameel Premhid, claimed Carrim was under surveillance and had received death threats ahead of his testimony.
Carrim is due to testify before the commission on 9 and 10 March. The businessman has been implicated in allegedly leaking police intelligence to alleged underworld kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
READ | 'Our client cannot be ambushed' - Carrim's lawyer to Madlanga Commission
Premhid said there has been threats to Carrim’s life, family and his businesses.
“My client’s position is that he is being subjected to the death threats regardless of the actual evidence he is going to give. He says he is being surveilled,” Premhid told the commission.
“The fact that now this [application] has already happened on live television undermines the purpose of the in-camera which was to protect that disclosure when he comes back to the commission to give his evidence.”
Inquiry chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga questioned the purpose of the request if the public or those threatening Carrim already know he will testify at some point.
“What difference does any of this make,” Madlanga asked.
“In the scenario that these proceedings are in-camera, whoever is threatening him will be left to speculate why he hasn’t given the evidence or whatever the case might be. That will not release him from the obligation to give evidence, which he will give, it’s the details around the evidence which will be protected,” Premhid responded.
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi said there was no factual basis on Carrim’s insistence that only specific individuals access his documents.
“He [Carrim] doesn’t lay a basis as to why only the people listed must have access to his papers. On what legal basis does your client think he has to prescribe who should have access to his papers. Why shouldn’t that be shared with the rest of the staff in the commission.”
Premhid said they wanted to limit access to Carrim’s documents because he does not trust that his documents will not be shared outside of the commission with those who are threatening him.
- The application continues