Kamogelo Moichela|Published
North West businessman Suliman Carrim will spend at least a week in custody after his bail proceedings were postponed to October 28, with the State accusing him of tailoring his account of when he knew he had been subpoenaed to appear before the Madlanga Commission.
Carrim appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, where proceedings were postponed to allow the court more time to examine the transcripts before delivering its decision.
The State challenged Carrim’s account of when he knew he had been subpoenaed to testify before the commission. Carrim was arrested after ignoring a summons to appear before the commission.
The State says his conduct before his arrest, together with his previous failure to appear before the Madlanga Commission, raises questions about whether he can be trusted to return to court if released.
The postponement means Carrim faces at least another week in custody while the magistrate scrutinises the record and considers the competing arguments.
His travel plans also came under scrutiny during Friday’s proceedings.
Prosecutors told the court that Carrim was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday night while allegedly preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia via Dubai.
The State said he held a one-way ticket to Saudi Arabia without a return booking, a claim disputed by his legal team.
Prosecutors also questioned why Carrim was travelling with five large bags, describing the luggage as “voluminous” and arguing that his travel arrangements raised questions about whether he intended to return to South Africa.
His arrest relates to fraud and corruption charges originating from the Ngaka Modiri Molema District Municipality in the North West.
Taking the witness stand in support of his bail application last week, Carrim described the trip as one for “spiritual upliftment”, telling the court that he had travelled to Dubai, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan for religious reasons over the past 17 years.
He explained that the bags contained snacks for the children, insisting that the family’s travel arrangements had a legitimate religious purpose.
During last week's proceedings, Carrim denied wrongdoing, telling the court: “I am not a criminal.”
He also raised concerns about his health, citing panic attacks and blackouts and saying he had been advised against cross-examination.
After consulting his legal team, however, he agreed to continue and spent the weekend behind bars at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre.