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Cassim's June 26 testimony

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR WITZ: Now possibly the 64 million dollar question in this inquiry in relation to your evidence, if you can assist the Commissioner, what did you receive, if anything, other than the repayment of your airfare from Sanjay or Mr Cronjé, in regard to the introduction that you made of the term of them there in Durban at the Beverley in Umhlanga Rocks?

MR CASSIM: I received absolutely nothing from Sanjay. What happened to me is that I received a lot of liabilities and telephone calls that I had to make. I had to pay for all those and the liabilities I am having right now.

MR WITZ: Now Mr Cronjé has given evidence to this Commission and as I understand certain portions of his evidence in particular relating to his dealings with Sanjay, he told the Commission that he was putting up a charade, in other words he was playing a game with Sanjay. He got tired of him, he admitted that initially he took the first lot of money, that's in Durban, and then he continued this charade. He actually wasn't doing anything and he was just trying to make Sanjay feel as if he was speaking to players etc. You have heard that evidence?

MR CASSIM: Correct.

MR WITZ: Now from your own perspective and your own dealings with both Sanjay telephonically, physically when you met him for the first time, as well as your dealings with Mr Cronjé, what do you say to that evidence of Mr Cronjé that he was keeping up a game and making a charade with Sanjay? Did you ever get that impression from Mr Cronjé that that is in fact exactly what he was doing?

MR CASSIM: I think so.

MR WITZ: And leading on from this, it's clear from your very, very impressive phone list, which I think there's a short-head between yourself and Mr Aronstam, who makes more calls or receives more calls, what I'd like to just establish from you, you are obviously very, very friendly, and there's a lot of mutual respect between yourself as well as the other South African cricket players, would that be a correct statement if I put them in that format to you?

MR CASSIM: Correct.

MR WITZ: Are you able to tell the Commissioner from your own knowledge, this is your own personal knowledge, not what you might have heard from others, especially relating to some of the cricket players that are mentioned here in your phone calls, or for that matter any other cricket players, are you aware of any other South African cricket players that have in any way either not performed to their best ability in test matches, One-day internationals or in any way involved in what this Commission is trying to establish? You from your own point of view.

MR CASSIM: No.

MR WITZ: And then just finally Mr Cassim, dealing with this particular aspect, the relationship that you told the Commissioner that you've still got with present South African cricket players as well as other international players, you told the Commissioner that you are still maintaining this relationship and you've had calls of support in relation to this unfortunate incident that is now before the Commission. Is that correct?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR WITZ: Thank you Mr Commissioner. At this stage I have got no further questions for Mr Cassim.

NO FURTHER QUESTIONS BY MR WITZ

COMMISSIONER: Thank you Mr Witz. Mr Fitzgerald.

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR FITZGERALD: Just very briefly Mr Commissioner. Mr Cassim just to put the telephone calls into perspective, would it be fair to say that you would phone the players about tickets?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR FITZGERALD: About cricket memorabilia.

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR FITZGERALD: You would phone them, I know Lance Klusener particular was, he's alleged to be the one most fond of your biltong, you would phone him about biltong supplies.

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR FITZGERALD: You would have discussions with them about their acquisition from you of electronic equipment.

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR FITZGERALD: And in some cases you would even just phone them for a chat.

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR FITZGERALD: With some of the players, would it be fair to say that your friendship with them has extended over a number of years?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR FITZGERALD: There has been evidence from the players that, and I read in particular from the statement that was presented to the Commission from Lance Klusener, that he knows Cassim as someone who loves cricket, and quote - "hangs around the team on a regular basis in Johannesburg", would that be a fair description?

MR CASSIM: Correct.

MR FITZGERALD: The evidence from the players has been that you have never approached any of them about match-fixing, is that correct?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR FITZGERALD: And you've never asked them to give you any information relating to the outcome of any particular match?

MR CASSIM: Never.

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