NEWS
SCHEDULES
COLUMNS
PREVIOUS TOURS
OTHER SPORTS
STATISTICS
INTERVIEWS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

Cassim's June 26 testimony

MR CASSIM: 7.7 Dr Ali Irani had given my number to a famous Indian actress, Rino Desai, who had come to South Africa. The actress who was also interested in cricket was told that I had a very good relationship with the cricket players and she wished to meet the crickets players, including the captain, Hansie Cronjé. 7.8 This was during the time of the Triangular Series between South Africa and England and Zimbabwe and the One-day internationals were due to start. I took Rino Desai to the Wanderers and I introduced her to Mr Hansie Cronjé whom she wanted to meet. Just regarding to 7.7, Dr Ali Irani would give - when anybody comes to South Africa and of the Indian people he would always give my number and say, "Hamid this is a brother of mine, this is a good personal friend of mine, please look after them". Because Dr Ali Irani knew that was my nature.

MR WITZ: Now is it correct that during the time of the Triangular Series, that was between South Africa, England and Zimbabwe, and these were the One-day internationals which were about to start, you took this famous Indian actress Rino Desai, to the Wanderers, to the nets where the South African team were practising. Just tell the Commissioner a little bit about this and what happened there that particular day or that afternoon.

MR CASSIM: That particular day when I took Rino to the Wanderers the South African cricket team was practising at their nets. I introduced her to Jonty Rhodes, to Lance Klusener, Herschelle Gibbs, Craig Smith, if I can recall, Kallis, Pollock, but she was most interested in Hansie Cronjé and Jonty Rhodes.

MR WITZ: Now after the introduction and after you spoke to Mr Cronjé, together with the actress certain conversation took place and this was basically a day or two after the Centurion, the test that's been referred to in this Commission, the final test match in this particular series. Just tell the Commissioner what happened there, what was the tenure of the conversation.

MR CASSIM: "After introduction and while having a brief conversation with Hansie Cronjé I joked with him about the unusual declaration that he had made at Centurion which allowed England to go on and win the game. I said to him, 'you should have told me about the declaration beforehand, I could have made some money'. He replied to me in a joking manner, 'kom praat'."

MR WITZ: Did you take it any further than a joking manner or did you read anything into that, what you had said to him and what his reply to you was?

MR CASSIM: I took it into a joking manner and I just left it there.

MR WITZ: Now in regard to your own conversations with Mr Cronjé, obviously when you weren't in the company of some famous, attractive Indian actress or filmstar, when you spoke to him yourself, either face-to-face and in particular when you spoke to him telephonically, what language did the two of you speak to each other in?

MR CASSIM: Most of the time we would speak in Afrikaans.

MR WITZ: Is it also correct that at a later occasion Mr Cronjé also gave you a signed T-shirt, his own shirt, after the game that they had played against England?

MR CASSIM: That's correct.

MR WITZ: Now Mr Cassim I want to just deal and take you to a further step in regard to your statement, and this is your own introduction to the person that is known as Sanjay Chawla, and we will refer to him for the purposes of this Commission as Sanjay. I'd like you to tell the Commission, take it from your statement, in what circumstances you met him, how you met him and what transpired further, please.

MR CASSIM: MY INTRODUCTION TO SANJAY CHAWLA 8.1 It was during the time period that the Triangular Series was taking place in South Africa between England, South Africa and Zimbabwe that I received a phone call from Sanjay Chawla. He told me that he had heard from people in India that I had a very good relationship with many of the international test cricketers and that I also knew a lot of the South African test cricketers. 8.2 He told me that he was coming to South Africa for the Triangular Series; that he was a cricket enthusiast, and that he followed test cricket worldwide. 8.3 He told me that he would be coming to South Africa and wanted to meet with me and if possible get introduced to some of the players. 8.4 Sanjay phoned me and told me that he was coming to South Africa on a Sunday and asked me whether I would be prepared to fetch him at the airport, to which I agreed. 8.5 He arrived on Sunday morning and I fetched him at the airport. 8.6 He is a young Indian male approximately between 30 and 35 years of age, tall and thin. 8.7 I took him with me to my business premises in Fordsburg where he relaxed and had something to eat. 8.8 In the time that he was in my company he told me that he had heard about me from a lot of people in India. He told me further that he had heard that I had an exceptionally good relationship with a lot of international cricket players. He told me that he himself was a cricket enthusiast who followed cricket worldwide, and he also told me that he would like to gamble on cricket. 8.9 In the time that I spent with him as well as the telephone calls that I had from him I gathered the distinct impression that he was more interested in gambling on cricket and he was most definitely not what is commonly termed "a bookmaker". 8.10 He enquired whether South African players were staying in Durban as he was going to Durban that evening and I told him that they usually stayed at the Beverley Hills Hotel in Umhlanga Rocks. He asked me to accompany him to Durban in order to introduce him to some of the cricketers and he especially wanted to be introduced to the captain, Mr Hansie Cronjé. 8.11 I told him that I had a very good relationship with Mr Cronjé but was not able to go to Durban that evening as I had family commitments. 8.12 I took Sanjay to the airport and he left for Durban that evening. 8.13 He phoned me from Durban and told me that he was staying at the same hotel as the South African cricket players. 8.14 It was eventually arranged that I would fly to Durban the following day and meet him at the Beverley Hills Hotel. I flew to Durban and thereafter met Sanjay at the Beverley Hills Hotel. Sanjay told me he in particular wanted to meet the captain of the South African cricket team, Hansie Cronjé.

MR WITZ: Now Mr Cassim before you read any further into the statement, when you spoke to Sanjay when he was in your company you told the Commission, as you've set out in your statement, that you gained the distinct impression that besides the actual game of cricket itself he was a man who was interested in betting on the outcome of cricket games, is that correct?

Click here for more....