Former ANC North West treasurer and businessman Suliman Carrim will spend the weekend behind bars after the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court postponed his bail application following his dramatic arrest at OR Tambo International Airport for allegedly failing to appear before the Madlanga Commission.
Carrim appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Friday facing a charge of contravening section 6(1) of the Commissions Act 8 of 1947, after he allegedly failed to appear before the Commission of Inquiry despite being warned to do so.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Carrim was warned to appear before the commission on 14 August 2026 but failed to pitch.
“Following his alleged failure to appear, a criminal case was registered and investigated by the Commission’s Recommendations Task Team,” NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said in a statement.
That investigation culminated in his arrest on Wednesday, 15 October, at OR Tambo International Airport, shortly before he was due to board an international flight.
In court on Friday, the State came out guns blazing, opposing Carrim’s release on bail and painting him as a flight risk.
Prosecutors argued that Carrim is likely to evade trial and that the State would not know where to locate him since his addresses had not been verified.
The court heard that Carrim was apprehended while allegedly attempting to leave the country, a factor the State said strengthened its argument that he should remain in custody.
Carrim’s defence, however, submitted documents in an attempt to secure his release, including what are believed to be proof of residence and other personal particulars.
The court was not prepared to make an immediate ruling on his bail.
“The matter was postponed to 19 October 2026 to allow for the verification of documents submitted to the court by the defence and continuation of the bail application,” Mahanjana said.
That means Carrim, once one of the ANC’s most powerful financiers in the North West and a well-connected businessman with interests spanning construction and logistics, will remain in custody until at least Monday.
The Commission, chaired by retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has been empowered to summon witnesses and refer criminal matters for investigation when witnesses fail to cooperate.
The NPA said investigations are continuing.
