The state has added two additional charges against Carrim for employing foreign nationals illegally.
Suliman Carrim appears at Pretoria Magistrate’s Court to resume his bail application on October 19, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. Carrim was arrested at the OR Tambo International Airport. He is facing a charge of contravening the Commission’s Act for repeatedly failing to appear at the Madlanga Commission. (Photo by Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu)
The state has added two additional charges against controversial North West businessman Suliman Carrim.
The businessman, 49, appeared briefly before the Musina Regional Court and was set to return for a bail application on Friday in connection with the alleged attempted theft and smuggling of two vehicles belonging to Absa.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed Carrim is facing two counts of attempted theft, two counts of uttering and charges of money laundering.
Carrim faces extra charges
Two additional counts of employing foreign nationals, whose immigration status didn’t authorise them to work in South Africa, were added during Friday’s court proceedings.
It is alleged that the businessman, acting in collusion with his employees, attempted to steal two vehicles belonging to Absa by using fraudulent documentation to smuggle the vehicles out of South Africa.
His co-accused are Malawian nationals Mike Phiri Mussa, 41, and Ibrahim Zakes, 36, who were arrested while allegedly attempting to cross into Zimbabwe through the Beitbridge border post with the vehicles.
The Commission’s Recommendations Task Team (CRTT) added Carrim as an accused in this matter on Wednesday, 21 October. This relates to the two cases.
The cases emanate from an incident on 22 July 2026, when South African Police Service (Saps) members stationed at the Beitbridge border post in Musina intercepted two motor vehicles allegedly destined for Malawi.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the vehicles were allegedly being transported from Mahikeng towards the Beitbridge border post for onward travel to Malawi,” said the Saps.
“It is alleged that arrangements had been made to obtain bank authorisation documents to facilitate the legal cross-border movement of the vehicles. However, the required authorisation was allegedly not provided, and fraudulent bank documents were subsequently arranged.
“The circumstances surrounding the alleged use of fraudulent documentation and the intended movement of the vehicles across the border form part of the ongoing investigation.”
The bank took over the two vehicles, which were still financed.
The matter was postponed to 9 November for the continuation of his bail hearing. He remains in custody.
Granted bail in separate case
On Wednesday, 28 October, the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court granted him bail of R100 000, after he successfully argued that he was not a flight risk.
In this case, police arrested him at OR Tambo International Airport in Kempton Park while he was preparing to board a flight to Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Thursday, 15 October.
He faces a charge of failing to appear before the Madlanga commission after a criminal complaint was lodged against him over alleged contempt of court.
In July, the commission dismissed his application to indefinitely delay his testimony on medical grounds.
The commission’s evidence leaders opposed the application, challenging the credibility of Carrim’s claims, arguing that, despite asserting that he is medically incapacitated, Carrim had been leaving his medical facility for extended periods each day, reportedly up to eight hours.
Madlanga commission says bail condition not met
One of his bail conditions was to make contact with the Madlanga commission for testimony.
However, on Friday, the Madlanga commission said Carrim has “failed to comply with the bail condition”.
“The Madlanga commission can confirm that the attorneys representing Mr Suliman Carrim have written to the commission merely bringing to its attention the judgment on bail delivered by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, and the relevant bail condition contained in that judgment.
“The bail condition requires Mr Carrim’s attorneys to take the initiative and ‘report in person, within 48 hours, to [the commission] … in order to make the necessary arrangements for [Mr Carrim’s] next appearance before the inquiry’. Thus the attorneys have not taken the initiative envisaged in the relevant bail condition.
“As a result, Mr Carrim has failed to comply with the bail condition.”
Additional reporting by Chulumanco Mahamba
