State capture inquiry chairperson deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo on Monday night agreed with former Eskom executive Matshela Koko that a claim by former driver of Anoj Singh that he once saw Koko at the Gupta compound is questionable.
Singh's former close protector testified last year that on one occasion he had driven his boss to Saxonwold, and one of the people he had “recognised” was Koko.
In the same breath Witness 3 said that he “did not know” who Koko was at the time, but only got to know who he was two years after seeing him at the Gupta residence.
“He says 'I recognised him' but you cannot recognise somebody you do not know and somebody you have not seen before,” charged Koko. “Chair, these are the witnesses that are putting my name into disrepute. He says he does not know me but he recognised me two years later.”
Zondo said Koko's defence was “legitimate” and cast doubt on the version put forward by Witness 3.
“There is difficulty with it [Witness 3's version] because for instance you say today I saw Mr Seleka and I recognised him, sometime later you say you did not know him but you recognised him,” said Zondo. “You cannot say you recognise somebody when you do not know them. Mr Koko is right to raise that and point out that that part as it stands is not without problems.”
Koko insisted that he never visited the Gupta residence.
TimesLIVE
Just R20 for the first month. Support independent journalism by subscribing to our digital news package. 