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Trial Report: Twenty-Nine

This report covers the period Monday 18 September to Friday 22 September, 2000

Monday, 18 September

Cecilia Grant, travel agent since 1975 and a director of Partners in Travel from October 1987 to January 18, 1992, was the 96th witness called since the trial began last October.

Grant testified that in 1989 her business, Partners in Travel, experienced financial difficulties. She was introduced to Wouter Basson by two of her clients, Jan Lourens and Charles Van Remoortrere. Grant said that Basson expressed an interest in acquiring shares in the business. Wisdom Investments and Properties purchased 51% shares in the company in August of that year. Former RRL Managing Director, Wynand Swanepoel was introduced to Grant as the man who would handle the day-to-day business of WIP's investment, on Basson's behalf. Her dealings were chiefly with Swanepoel.

Grant testified about the financial status of the company and the role played by Basson and his colleagues in the business. She said that Partners in Travel made a dramatic turn around after the purchase of the majority shares by Wisdom Finance and Investments largely because Sefmed, Infladel, Medchem Consolidated Investments and Roodeplaat Research Laboratories became clients. However by the middle of 1992 the company was again in serious financial trouble with the company owing R1million to Wisaltco Holdings (successor to Wisdom Investments and Property). At this point Grant wished to go into voluntary liquidation but was stopped by Swanepoel. As a way of staving off the inevitable, an agreement was signed on January 1992 in terms of which Grant would transfer her 49% shareholding in Partners in Travel  to Wisaltco for the nominal amount of R42 000. In return, she would resign with immediate effect and cede the Partners in Travel loan account to Wisaltco, while Wisaltco would waive all claims, present and future, against Grant.

Prosecutor Werner Bouwer told Grant the court had been informed, during cross-examination of Sam Bosch, that Wisdom Group executives had customarily flown first-class because they were able to obtain tickets at huge discounts - paying as little as 10% of the fare - and the tickets were thus "practically free". Grant said this would have been totally impossible, as no one outside the travel industry qualifies for any discount on a first-class fare, and even she, a seasoned travel agent, would be required to pay between 75% and 95% of a first-class ticket. Neither Basson nor any of his associates - Mijburgh, Bosch, Viljoen, Swanepoel - was ever given a discount fare, she said, and they all flew first-class, frequently. Their respective companies paid.

Grant never knew that Basson was a military officer. He told her he and Van Remoortrere were in the business of manufacturing protective clothing to shield medical workers from toxins. She was never required to make bookings for him in anything but his own name and was never asked to arrange a travel itinerary for him that would hide his South African origin.

In cross-examination Adv. Cilliers questioned Grant about the criminal case against her, laid by Swanepoel. This case was dropped in 1993. Cilliers also said her evidence did not show that Basson gained personally from the purchase of shares in her company. Cilliers placed on record that Basson denies ever personally holding shares in Partners in Travel, having held them via a company which was "part of a much bigger scheme".

Linda-May van Niekerk returned to the stand for completion of her cross-examination. Cilliers took her through the documentation surrounding the 1991 sale of 31 332 NBC suits by Technotek. Cilliers concluded by placing on record Basson's denial that he was ever involved in an unauthorised deal for the sale to Seyntex of NBC suits from the SADF.

Court has adjourned until Tuesday, September 26, when Jan Lourens will return to testify about the role of Protechnik in the NBC suit project. Charles van Remoortrere cross-examination will resume on Wednesday, September 27.

 

This report has been prepared by Chandré Gould and Marlene Burger. Chandré  Gould is a research associate at the Centre for Conflict Resolution working on the Chemical and Biological Warfare Research Project. Marlene Burger is monitoring the trial  as part of the CCR Chemical and Biological Warfare Research Project. The Chemical and Biological Warfare Research Project is funded by the Ford Foundation, the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Norwegian Government.

 
Centre for Conflict Resolution, UCT, Private Bag, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
Tel: (27) 21-4222512 Fax: (27) 21-4222622 Email: [email protected]

 
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