North West businessman Suleiman Carrim will now appear before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry next month after being granted a postponement on Friday, despite the Johannesburg High Court dismissing his urgent application to halt his questioning.
Carrim faces allegations that he received R2.5 million to assist alleged crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala in securing payments linked to a R360 million South African Police Service contract, which was later cancelled.
At Friday’s proceedings, Carrim’s lawyer, Advocate Kameel Premhid, told the commission that his client had been disadvantaged by the late delivery of key documents. While Carrim had previously received large bundles of documents, the 77 pages directly relevant to his testimony were only provided on Thursday, leaving insufficient time for preparation.
Commission chairperson, retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, noted that the High Court had previously found Carrim and his legal team “obstructive” in their attempts to avoid testifying. Premhid countered that they were only seeking clarity on the relevant documents.
Commissioner Sesi Baloyi urged Premhid to ensure Carrim’s statement is ready by 27 February, a deadline Premhid accepted. Evidence leader Advocate Paul Chaskalson defended the commission’s legal team, accusing Carrim’s lawyers of an obstructive approach and rejecting claims that earlier access to the 77 pages would have resolved the issues.
The postponement means Carrim will now testify on 9 and 10 March.
Carrim had initially approached the High Court for an interim order preventing the commission from compelling his appearance, arguing that the listing of him as an implicated person was unfair and violated his rights. The commission opposed the application, warning that granting it could set a dangerous precedent and noting that Carrim had been aware for months that he would be required to testify.
He was issued with a fresh subpoena on 23 January to appear on 6 February but only filed his urgent court application on 26 January. On Thursday, High Court Judge Denise Fisher struck the matter from the roll, ordered Carrim to pay costs, and confirmed that he remains legally obliged to appear before the commission.