Businessman Suliman Carrim has been put on notice by the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which warned that his continued delay in giving evidence could result in a recommendation for prosecution.
Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers
A medical claim, repeated delays and a looming prosecution warning have placed businessman Suliman Carrim at the centre of a new showdown at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Carrim's appearance before the commission has now been postponed for a third time after he claimed to be medically unfit to testify following an alleged heart attack in April.
The commission has granted his request to delay proceedings until July 15, but the latest postponement has heightened tensions over his continued absence.
The commission's chief evidence leader, Matthew Chaskalson, told proceedings that Carrim should undergo an examination by an independent medical specialist to verify his health claims before returning to the witness stand.
"If Carrim does not agree to be examined by an independent specialist, then we will ask the commission to recommend that he be prosecuted under Sections 5 and 6 of the Commission's Act and Regulation 12.2.4 for hindering the proceedings of the commission," Chaskalson said.
Carrim's lawyer, Kameel Premhid, opposed the proposal, arguing that forcing his client to undergo an independent medical examination would unfairly prejudice him.
“There are potentially less intrusive means that the commission has available to it other than to subject our client to medical examination by a medical expert that he does not necessarily consent to,” Premhid argued it would be a compelled examination.
Carrim has not been charged with any criminal offence and the commission has made no findings against him.
However, he remained a central figure in the inquiry's investigation into complex financial dealings involving alleged tycoon Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala and tenderpreneur Hangwani Morgan Maumela.
North West businessman Suliman Carrim’s testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry revealed an alleged money laundering syndicate between him and tenderpreneurs Hangwani Maumela and Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Image: IOL
Evidence leaders are probing claims that Carrim acted as an intermediary in multimillion-rand financial transactions between Matlala and Maumela.
The commission is examining whether those payments were legitimate commercial transactions or formed part of an alleged money-laundering scheme intended to conceal the movement of funds.
Investigators have also questioned Carrim over allegations that he received about R2.5 million linked to Matlala's controversial R360 million SAPS healthcare contract, which was later cancelled.
Additional scrutiny has focused on approximately R2.12 million allegedly transferred from one of Carrim's companies to Matlala's Medicare24, payments investigators say were not disclosed during earlier testimony.
Carrim has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
He maintained the transactions were lawful business dealings, not money laundering, and said he invested R10 million in Medicare24 but suffered substantial financial losses after failing to recover most of the investment.
He has also denied having any improper relationship with former police minister Senzo Mchunu, insisting the disputed payments arose from failed commercial ventures rather than criminal conduct.
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