Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala
PRETORIA - Businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala's appearance at the Madlanga Commission got off to fiery started with heated exchanges between Matlala's lawyer and the Commissioners.
Advocate Annelene van den Heever kicked off the session by requesting a postponement of Matlala's testimony at the Commission.
She argued that she had needed to be furnished with documents from the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), so that she can guide her client. Van Heever also said as she was not part of Matlala's plea agreement with the state she did not want to her client to incriminate himself.
Van Heever asked for the postponement so that her team could familiarise themselves with the contents of the agreement.
"During a plea deal there are other negotiations that happen between investigators," said Van den Heever.
"I need to know what was discussed in the pre-negotiations," she added.
Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga said the plea deal had no relevance as it was now a thing of the past.
READ: Security tightened as 'Cat' Matlala set to face Madlanga Commission
Matlala had been in the process of into a plea deal with the state where he would turn state witness in exchange for an eight-year jail term.
The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court rejected the agreement and opting for a 12-year jail sentence instead.
When agreeing to testify at the Madlanga Commission, it was on the condition that certain contents from the plea deal would not be discussed. Matlala has since rejected the plea deal, meaning all things are open for discussion, according to the Commissioners.
Van den Heever also requested that the postponement take into consideration that his criminal trial at the Johannesburg High Court starts on 20 July.
The postponement was granted until 1 September. Matlala's team has until 29 July to submit his statements.