Was Suliman Carrim planning to come back to SA? – Flight tickets, old cases argued in bail battle
The 49-year-old was arrested on Thursday, while preparing to board a flight to the UAE.
In a bail battle at Pretoria Magistrate's Court, North West businessman Suliman Carrim, a former ANC provincial treasurer, maintained that he planned to travel for spiritual reasons and intended to return to South Africa. Carrim, 49, was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport while trying to board a flight to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The state argued against his release on bail, citing his travel plans and arrest as reasons for concern. Carrim's lawyer, Advocate Hendrik Potgieter, asserted that Carrim had planned to travel to Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for over 15 years, emphasizing that the luggage he was arrested with was largely sweets and snacks for charitable purposes in Pakistan.
Carrim denied any knowledge of previous criminal charges, including fraud and negligent driving cases, stating he had never been informed or charged. The court postponed the bail application until Monday, 19 October, due to the state's request for verification of Carrim's flight tickets and residential addresses. Carrim's health and repeated absences from the Madlanga commission were also raised during the proceedings.
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