Businessperson and ANC member Suleiman Carrim was paid R1.5m by attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala after his company was paid for a contract by the SA Police Service (SAPS), a secret witness testified before the Madlanga commission on Tuesday.
The witness, whose identity has been withheld from the public for safety reasons, continued where crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo left off.
Khumalo was supposed to testify on payments made to Carrim, but fell ill on October 1 and could not give evidence.
The witness gave evidence about WhatsApp messages between Matlala and KwaZulu-Natal directorate for priority crime investigation provincial (Hawks) head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona, Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi, fraud investigator Calvin Rafadi, and Carrim.
The chats between Carrim and Matlala reveal Matlala paid R1.5m into a business account linked to the ANC member on February 4. This was after Matlala’s company, Medicare24, was paid R2.5m by SAPS.
Matlala’s company had a R360m, three-year contract with SAPS.
The witness’s evidence was read into the record by evidence leader Adila Hassim.
The witness statement detailed how Carrim assisted Matlala with tender invoices and shared information about tender payouts only SAPS financial staff members were privy to.
“Salaam, brother, now is the time to start invoicing. I was wondering if I can see you before we send invoices. I can even come to your place. Please advise,” read a text from Matlala sent to Carrim on January 7.
Carrim told him he was in Cape Town — at the time the ANC held its January 8 celebrations in the city.
On January 30, Matlala sent another message to Carrim asking him if he could “check with your guys how far the payment is?”
The next day, January 31, Carrim told him the payment by SAPS had been finalised. Matlala asked Carrim to send his bank account details to him, which he received.
On February 4, he sent proof of payment to Carrim to show he had paid R1.5m into the account.
On the same day, Carrim confirmed receipt, and told Matlala that “Morgan is sorted.”
Hassim said Morgan was possibly a reference to businessman Hangwani Morgan Maumela, with whom Matlala also communicated via WhatsApp.
Maumela’s companies were flagged by slain state official Babita Deokaran for suspected tender corruption at Tembisa Hospital. His family trust amassed more than R2.3bn in state tenders.
Further evidence on Maumela in camera
Further evidence on Maumela would be heard in camera, Hassim told the commission.
Judging by the chats, Carrim presented himself as a person who had direct communication with police minister Senzo Mchunu.
On March 23, Matlala sent Carrim a link to a news article that reported on the cancellation of his SAPS tender.
“Salaam, I am shocked to hear that the minister is the one who instituted the probe against my company,” Matlala’s text reads.
Carrim responded, “I do not think so, Mr C; I think we should see him together.”
Matlala then requested to see Carrim because he had previously said he knew someone “higher in Sars”.
On May 6, Carrim forwarded the following message to Matlala, purported to have been sent to the minister: “Good morning, minister. I just received a call from our guy who’s a service provider for our health risk management project; he’s got very serious concerns. Apparently you gave a directive to scrutinise his contract, and while they are at it, they must stall as much as they can to release purchase orders until you guys come up with something that can warrant the termination of service.”
Carrim said the minister then “called” after his message.
Brown Mogotsi forwarded the message that was sent to the minister to Matlala.
On May 14, the day of his arrest, Matlala shared with Carrim the news that his contract had been cancelled.
The commission hearings continue on Thursday.
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