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Cassim's June 26 testimony

MR FITZGERALD: Mr Commissioner at this stage I have no further questions. Depending on what is elicited by any of my legal learned friends may I be given an opportunity then to cross-examine if necessary. Thank you.

COMMISSIONER: Mr Manca.

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MR MANCA: Thank you Mr Commissioner.

Mr Cassim if I understand you correctly you say that you haven't received any monetary rewards in any form from Mr, can I call him Mr Chawla or you - from Mr Chawla in respect of your introduction of Mr Chawla to Mr Cronjé and any of Mr Chawla's subsequent dealings with Mr Cronjé, is that correct? MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR MANCA: Mr Chawla just paid for your aeroplane trip from Johannesburg to Durban and back.

MR CASSIM: I paid with my credit card and he reimbursed me.

MR MANCA: I am not going to ask you in this public open hearing to divulge the details, but I want to ask you whether, as a matter of principle, you will be prepared to tell Ms Batohi and her investigators the following: Firstly, the details of any bank accounts that you may have in your personal name, would you be prepared to give them that information?

MR CASSIM: Correct, yes.

MR MANCA: Would you give them any information in regard to any companies or close corporations which you may or may not be a member of?

MR CASSIM: Yes.

MR MANCA: And you would also then make such bank accounts of those companies or close corporations to the extent that you are able to do so, available to the Commission and its investigators?

MR CASSIM: Yes.

MR MANCA: And similarly if you are a trustee or a beneficiary in respect of any trusts you would make similar information available to the Commission and its investigators.

MR CASSIM: Yes.

MR MANCA: Now Mr Cassim I understand you to say quite strongly to this Commission today that you are not a betting man, and the last time that you bet on a sporting event was a horse race in 1976.

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR MANCA: Do I infer from that that you are not interested in any way whatsoever, in any sports betting?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR MANCA: In fact your connection with cricketers and you've even testified in relation to your connection with overseas footballers is that you like to be associated with them and to be seen in their company, would that be correct?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR MANCA: Since 1976 you have never even thought about betting on a sports event, is that correct?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR MANCA: It never entered your head? Can you just repeat that. Since 1976 you have never thought about betting on a sports event and I think your answer, it didn't come through the microphone was, "it never entered my head".

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR MANCA: Could you then explain to the Commissioner why shortly after the Centurion Park test, on your admitted version, you suggested to Mr Cronjé that it was a pity he hadn't told you about the declaration because you could have made a lot of money?

MR CASSIM: I was merely joking with Mr Cronjé.

MR MANCA: So you were incorrect when you told me a moment ago that even thinking about betting on a sports even wouldn't have entered your head.

MR CASSIM: I think I was incorrect there.

MR MANCA: What were you thinking about when you asked him that question?

MR CASSIM: Actually nothing, I was just joking with Mr Cronjé. I was standing with Rino Desai there and when I told him that and he just said "kom praat" and I just left it there and then.

MR MANCA: Mr Cassim I am not going to cross-examine you at length, but I just want to put this proposition to you. I find it extremely strange that for a person who on his own version hasn't even thought about betting on a sports event since 1976 you would have suggested to the captain of the South African team, shortly after the Centurion Park test that it's a pity you hadn't told me about that, we could have made a lot of money. It seems to me that you are not really disclosing your interest in sports betting or your activities therein.

MR CASSIM: Let me have that question again please.

MR MANCA: The simple submission is that I don't think, having regard to your evidence that you were not interested in sports betting, that that is not consistent with the approach that you made to Mr Cronjé shortly after the Centurion Park test, and I am putting it to you that you are not disclosing to this Commission the full extent of your involvement in sports betting and your involvement with Mr Cronjé and for that matter in the other cricketer in regard to sports betting.

MR CASSIM: To the best of my knowledge I am disclosing my full information regarding betting to this Commission.

COMMISSIONER: You see Mr Cassim, in your statement, dealing with that particular comment, it's paragraph 7.9, you said to Cronjé, and then there's a quote -

"You should have told me about the declaration beforehand and I could have made some money". And then you continue in your statement. You say - "He replied to me in a joking manner, 'kom praat'". You didn't tell me in this statement nor in your evidence initially that your comment was made in a joking manner. So I am a little concerned at your answer.

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