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Cassim's June 26 testimony

COMMISSIONER: You can be cross-examined on that basis.

MS BATOHI: Mr Commissioner perhaps this might assist, I have two. One is exactly the same as Mr Manca's, that is a phone call and it is not amended and I have another page where it has been amended and initialled on the side which my junior has just handed to me.

COMMISSIONER: That's initialled apparently by the deponent.

MS BATOHI: Yes, not the Commissioner of Oaths I think, it's just the deponent, I'm not sure perhaps Mr Cassim can help us on that.

MR WITZ: Sorry to interrupt, Mr Commissioner you'll see there's another alteration at 8.23 where it was changed from first test match to first One-day international. There are one or two minor alterations which were signed by this witness that is presently getting evidence but not by the Commissioner of Oaths and we gave the original which has been changed, he's copy been changed and I suppose possibly it should have been brought to Mr Manca's attention. But I've got not objection, he can deal with it in cross-examination just to set the record straight. Thank you Mr Commissioner.

COMMISSIONER: Carry on Mr Manca. Mr Manca's question to you was that he's expressed in his tone of voice some surprise that you had made something like twenty to thirty calls whereas your affidavit, or statement, it's an affidavit really in it's original form talked about a phone call, am I right?

MR MANCA: Yes Mr Commissioner. Mr Cassim am I correct were you in Cape Town on Friday or not?

MR CASSIM: Friday that's gone past?

MR MANCA: Yes this last Friday.

MR CASSIM: Yes I was in Cape Town, I was the whole week in Cape Town by the way.

MR MANCA: And now this change to your statement, was it done on Friday afternoon or over the weekend?

MR CASSIM: The change was done over the weekend.

MR MANCA: In other words just for the record Mr Commissioner it was changed subsequent to me cross-examining, as you will recall Mr Cronjé on the contents of this particular statement, Mr Commissioner you will recall that I read portions of Mr Cronjé's statement to him in relation to Mr Cassim's involvement as well as the statement and Mr Cronjé preferred his own version. So I'm just placing on record that that change - Alright Mr Cassim we'll carry on. How did the change come about, how did it come about that you decided to change the portion of your statement?

MR CASSIM: Sorry when I read my statement again, however when I saw I did receive a phone call, however it was not just a phone call it was phone calls and I'm sure there must have been an error there.

MR MANCA: You stand by what you said in paragraph 8.24 of your statement. Perhaps I'll read you mine because I don't know if yours will be changed. Mine says - "I wish to state...." have you got paragraph 8.24? "I wish to state further that save for the discussion at the Beverley Hills Hotel in Sanjay's room between himself and Mr Cronjé, I had no further meetings or any telephonic discussions with Mr Cronjé relating to what had transpired that day at the Beverley Hills Hotel". is that what your statement says?

MR CASSIM: Yes.

MR MANCA: Now would you explain to me what you mean by when you say - "I had no meetings or telephonic discussions with Mr Cronjé." now you say and this is what I'm intrigued to know exactly what you're referring to - "...relating to what had transpired that day at the Beverley Hills Hotel room". What had transpired that day at the Beverley Hills Hotel room? In your own words please Mr Cassim.

MR CASSIM: What had transpired during that day was what Sanjay and Hansie, the conversation they had and I never, ever questioned Hansie about that day again.

MR MANCA: I know I'm traversing stuff that I've already traversed with you but I wanted you to explain to me in simple terms what you meant by what had transpired. Now you've related it to the conversation, I want to know the contents of the conversation.

MR CASSIM: The contents of the conversation as you are aware was the betting, the forecasting, the pitch reports, the selection of the teams and that.

MR MANCA: Why were you anxious in this statement to put some distance between yourself and Mr Cronjé and Mr Sanjay as to what happened in that hotel room? Why were you anxious to do that, because that's what you seem to be doing to me?

MR CASSIM: I was not anxious to do that.

MR MANCA: Why are you putting distance between yourself on the one hand and Mr Cronjé and Mr Sanjay on the other hand as to what happened in that hotel room? Why are you placing some distance between yourself and him?

MR CASSIM: It's now that I've realised what Hansie and Sanjay was up to, that I realised that what they were doing, I was not even aware of it.

MR MANCA: So when you on your own version saw money change hands you weren't aware of what was going on?

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