McBride, Booysen won’t face cross-examination

FORMER Independent Police Investigative Directorate boss Robert McBride and former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Major General Johan Booysen will no longer face cross-examination at the state capture proceedings.

Instead, those who applied to cross-examine the duo will make written submissions of their versions of events.

The Commission of Inquiry into state capture continued to hear applications for leave to cross-examine witnesses brought forward by implicated parties yesterday.

Legal representatives of those implicated by McBride and Booysen submitted that issues raised by McBride and Booysen were intertwined with other issues raised by other witnesses and cross-examination of the two alone “would not serve any purpose”.

The legal teams said they should be able to summarise the “critical versions” of their clients’ testimonies and they should be read out on the designated days at the end of June.

Cross-examination of McBride and Booysen had been set down for June 25 and 28 respectively.

Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo accepted the submissions.

The commission is striving to wrap up its proceedings in the next two weeks. Justice Zondo said since time was running out, he had decided that he would not make findings where evidence was one-sided or he would refer incomplete work to law enforcement agencies.

On Tuesday, Werksmans Attorneys decided to withdraw its bid to question former Prasa chief Lucky Montana.

Former SABC chief operations officer Hlaudi Motsoeneng’s applications to cross-examine former chief executive Lulama Mokhobo and former Communications minister Yunus Carrim were dismissed. Justice Zondo said it was not in the interest of justice to grant him leave to cross-examine Mokhobo and Carrim.

Motsoeneng was, however, allowed to submit a written affidavit.

Justice Zondo also dismissed lobby group AfriForum's attempt to cross-examine President Cyril Ramaphosa.

He said that for a person to apply for leave to cross-examine someone, that person should have been implicated by the other party. Justice Zondo said he did not recall AfriForum being implicated by Ramaphosa.

The commission will continue to hear evidence from former Transnet chief financial officer Anoj Singh and former minister of Public Enterprises, Malusi Gigaba today.