Suliman Carrim granted bail of R100,000 after airport arrest

North West businessman Suliman Carrim was granted bail of R100,000 by the Pretoria magistrate’s court on Wednesday.

Carrim was arrested at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport earlier this month by the Madlanga commission’s recommendations task team for allegedly contravening the Commissions Act after repeatedly failing to appear before the inquiry.

Delivering the bail verdict, the magistrate acknowledged Carrim’s failure to appear before the Madlanga commission was concerning, but emphasised the court must not determine his guilt during bail proceedings. The court ultimately found any identified risks could be appropriately managed through the commission’s oversight.

Before bail was granted, the state applied to reopen its case to submit additional evidence after both sides had concluded their arguments. The state revealed Carrim faces a separate pending charge in Musina involving the alleged unlawful transportion of two vehicles across the border. Additionally, prosecutors argued Carrim failed to disclose his wife owns other properties.

The defence opposed the state’s application, arguing both sides had closed their arguments. They contended that whether Carrim’s wife owns additional properties was irrelevant to his bail eligibility, and the pending case in Musina was completely unrelated to the current matter.

The magistrate dismissed the state’s application to introduce new evidence, ruling it would not affect the court’s judgment, and subsequently granted bail.

As part of his bail conditions, Carrim must attend all proceedings in this matter unless excused by the court. His passport, which is currently in the possession of the investigating officer, is to be retained until the completion of the trial. Any other international travel documents in his possession must be surrendered to the investigating officer within 24 hours of his release from custody.

He is prohibited from applying for or obtaining replacement passports or travel documents without prior permission from the court. Furthermore, he may not leave the country without court authorisation.

Carrim is required to reside at his five residential addresses in Mafikeng and must not travel outside the area without prior permission from the investigating officer. He must also provide his phone number to the investigating officer and notify them immediately if medical conditions prevent him from attending court appearances.

In addition, he has been ordered to make contact with the Madlanga commission of inquiry within 48 hours.

Failure to comply with any of these conditions will be considered a breach of bail, which may result in the issuance of a warrant for his arrest.

Despite being granted bail in this matter, Carrim remains in custody pending a separate bail application on Friday in Musina linked to an alleged cross-border vehicle smuggling syndicate.