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Symcox's June 7 testimony

MR GAUNTLETT: ...(cellphone rings) Apologies, Mr COMMISSIONER. For once I couldn't blame the Press. Not that you can recall. Now it was Hudson, was it, who spoke up along those lines, pointing to the dishonesty, fundamentally, of the proposal. Is that right? As I understand it, he indicated that he wasn't prepared to countence (?) this kind of thing.

MR SYMCOX: Amongst others, he was one of the guys, yes.

MR GAUNTLETT: Crookes was another?

MR SYMCOX: Yes.

MR GAUNTLETT: And was Cullinan much to the same effect?

MR SYMCOX: Yes.

MR GAUNTLETT: And their answer was really squarely - or their response was squarely one of saying, 'This kind of thing'. It was a suggestion of dishonesty. Is that right?

MR SYMCOX: Yes.

MR GAUNTLETT: Was there any response by the others to that?

MR SYMCOX: Not that I can recall. I can remember us all just having a turn to say how you felt. And I can remember specifically Daryl, Derek and Andrew Hudson. Those were the 3 that stuck out in my mind that were very strong about it.

MR GAUNTLETT: Now you told Ms Batohi that you don't recall there being a sequence of 3 meetings, but there was something of an after-meeting, is that right? Comprising some of the senior players, and you've identified them as being yourself, Richardson, McMillan and of course, Cronje.

MR SYMCOX: Yes.

MR GAUNTLETT: You, again as I understood your evidence, took seriously Cronje picking up the phone, putting through a call and then reverting to you and saying he could get an extra $100 000. Is that right?

MR SYMCOX: Ja, we were quite amazed. Ja.

MR GAUNTLETT: I'm sorry?

MR SYMCOX: We were quite amazed.

MR GAUNTLETT: Yes, my question is you took that seriously.

MR SYMCOX: I don't know how seriously. When I think back now, that it was. We'd already rejected it out of hand, and then more of saying, 'Well, why don't you tell whoever it maybe that - let's string them along, you know, and see how much there is.'

COMMISSIONER: Mr Symcox, I'm again interested not so much - although I am interested in that too, how it was received by yourself and the others, I'm interested to know from you whether you took it to have been seriously made, the extra hundred grand.

MR SYMCOX: Yes.

MR GAUNTLETT: So critically, Mr Symcox, this was a continuation of a serious procedure. The anti was being upped, if may use the colloquialism by a whole $100 000.

MR SYMCOX: It was, but the meeting had broken up, so sitting in the room, the next sequel was exactly as you said. Although, when Hansie made the call again, and put down the phone, yes, we did take it as, 'Well, there's another 100 000.'

COMMISSIONER: The call made in your presence, in the room?

MR SYMCOX: Yes, it was. But we didn't all stop talking and listen to Hansie talking, you know.

MR GAUNTLETT: Now I understand it to be indicated by others, Mr Symcox, that in fact there'd been a prelude to the first meeting. That there had been an approach prior to the first meeting that you've described, the one which Woolmer was not at. And particularly on the flight to Bombay. Do you know anything about that? Did you receive some sort of initial approach from Cronje or from anybody else on the flight to Bombay? It would have been the day before this, I think.

MR SYMCOX: I can't remember, and I can't even remember how many days before we got into Bombay. But I can't recall that, else I would have - and I would have by now remembered about it. There's been enough time to do it.

MR GAUNTLETT: Now, Mr Symcox, turning - almost turning from that matter. May I just ask you in conclusion, as you look back on it, are you surprised as to how events unfolded in the one meeting and the after meeting, on which you've testified, if you look back does it occur to you now that it's strange that it should have happened? Strange that Management shouldn't have been involved in any way, and strange that there wasn't an immediate reaction actually from all of you, not just 3 or 4, but, 'This is dishonest and we shouldn't do it.' Do you have any sort of retrospective thought like that?

MR SYMCOX: Ja, when I look back now, and you know, we've played now 7 years. Well, I had, and after close on 100 games, you look back now and you say, 'Hey, well maybe - maybe we should have been stronger in what we were doing then.' But at the time, we were young and finding our way. And maybe we should have got out the room and walked up and said, 'This is unacceptable. Do this and do this', but we didn't.

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