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Cassim's June 26 testimony

COMMISSIONER: 'At the moment' sounded a little ominous, I must say, Mr Manca.

MR MANCA: Well, Mr Commissioner, the reason for that is that you are aware at the outset, I did - Mr Cassim did say that he would provide certain financial information to Ms Batohi and her investigators. It's very much on the basis that this is an ongoing investigation.

COMMISSIONER: Ms Batohi.

CROSS-EXAMINATION BY MS BATOHI: Thank you, Mr Commissioner. Mr Cassim I've - it's not the first time I've heard this story. Well, some of it. You obviously had a very, very close relationship with a number of international sporting stars, should I say.

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MS BATOHI: I'm just going to ask you to explain your relationship with just one or two of them. You said you became very close to Kapil Dev. Is that correct?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MS BATOHI: And if I'm correct this was on or - during or about 1993. Is that correct?

MR CASSIM: Correct.

MS BATOHI: And your statement states that - well, this is paragraph 5.8 if you want to refer to it. It says that Kapil Dev invited you to attend a game in India.

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MS BATOHI: Who paid for that ticket?

MR CASSIM: I paid for that ticket.

MS BATOHI: So - just explain how did it come about that you got this invitation? What sort of match was it and why did you go?

MR CASSIM: It was the Hero Cup in 1993. Kapil Dev invited me to come down there. I paid for the tickets, but - and the entire accommodation was with the India cricket team.

MS BATOHI: And how long before this had you struck up a friendship with him?

MR CASSIM: It was in that year, when India - I think it was '92/'93 when India toured South Africa.

MS BATOHI: So just to give the Commission some idea about how many months after you first met him would you say he invited you to India for this Hero Cup cricket match?

MR CASSIM: I think the Hero Cup match took place in November, so it's about eight to nine months.

MS BATOHI: I'm just a bit - why did he do this? Why does he invite you for a cricket match?

MR CASSIM: The relationship I developed with Kapil Dev, when we struck up that relationship, we just became very close friends. I used to call him on a regular basis, and he used to always call me on a regular basis. When South Africa toured India, when I called him, he says I have - in actual fact I didn't bring the autobiography that Kapil Dev gave me, and when he - that was in '92, where he wrote there, 'Hope to see you soon in India.' And that's when I went down.

MS BATOHI: So are you just saying to this Commission then that you were prepared to pay for a ticket and go to India simply because you were invited by Kapil Dev?

MR CASSIM: Yes, and it was a holiday for me as well. We were three friends that decided to go down.

MS BATOHI: You also testified about your very close relationship with a number of the South African players. I'm just particularly interested in the benefit matches that you arranged for this Indian cricketer, Madanlal. Now just explain to the Commission, how did it come about that you got involved in the arrangements of this benefit match?

MR CASSIM: I did not get in the arrangement of the benefit matches, I got in the arrangements with the players.

MS BATOHI: I'm just surprised that whoever it was in India that was dealing with it didn't go directly to the United Cricket Board for example, to say, 'Look, we're having these benefit matches and we'd like to find out if any players of yours are interested.' Why did they come to you, a civilian who's struck up a friendship with players? Why didn't it go through official channels?

MR CASSIM: I can't answer that, but I'm sure Kapil Dev, his wife Romi used to arrange the benefit matches, used to phone me and say, 'Please try and get hold of this particular person - like Jonty Rhodes, Brian MacMillan', and the other players. What I would normally do, I would phone the UCB and get their contact numbers. And once or two occasions the UCB gave me -I think it was Mr Griffiths' number for Jonty Rhodes, I think he was his agent at that time, and I contacted him. But then Jonty couldn't make it for that then I used to just contact the other players.

MS BATOHI: Just explain how this worked. What was in it for you? Were you some sort of agent or some sort? You must have surely benefitted from this entire exercise in some way.

MR CASSIM: No, I never benefitted anything from this. I merely did it practically, out of goodness of my heart, for Kapil Dev and Madanlal or his wife.

MS BATOHI: I'm not going to rehash what my learned friend Mr Manca has already dealt with, but there are certain aspects of what he has dealt with that I will deal with a little further. You state at page 11 of your statement that - and if I recall from my consultation with you at the outset at Mr Witz's place, that the first time you were contacted by Mr Chawla was just before the triangular series took place in South Africa between South Africa, England and Zimbabwe. Is that correct?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MS BATOHI: So you had no idea who he was when he called you, is that correct?

MR CASSIM: Initially I had no idea who he was.

MS BATOHI: And this was, as you said, just before the triangular series?

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