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Cronje's June 22 testimony

MR CRONJE: It is possible that I said it, yes.

MS BATOHI: Why would you have said that to him?

MR CRONJE: Because I was merely playing him along, spinning him along.

MS BATOHI: Now if you were doing that, then it appears that there would have - from that line - there would have been some agreement about Cochin and what the other players would receive. Is that correct?

MR CRONJE: Ms Batohi, I've told you before that 95% of the time that I spoke to Sanjay I was spinning him along.

MS BATOHI: I understand that. But just listen to my question. If you say you could have said that to him. You say: "The other guys were already angry with me because I have not received their money, you know." Now it's clear from that, that there must have been some agreement before that about money to be played to other players. Isn't that clear from that statement that you made?

MR CRONJE: That is clear that that statement was made, ja, and it's clear that that is what I said to Sanjay, yes.

MS BATOHI: Listen to my question very carefully, otherwise we're going to take longer than we need to. If you said that to him, that would necessarily imply that there was some agreement before that for certain monies to be paid to certain players. Do you agree with that?

MR CRONJE: Yes. And that's what I say in my affidavit as well.

MS BATOHI: Now what was that - was there any prior agreement to play any players for Cochin?

MR CRONJE: Sanjay said to me that he will pay the players if we play along in Cochin, yes.

MS BATOHI: And what was he going to play the players for Cochin?

MR CRONJE: I cannot remember.

MS BATOHI: So what you're saying then, is that there was an agreement that players will get paid for the Cochin match, but you can't remember the amount?

MR CRONJE: That's what I lead Sanjay to believe, yes.

COMMISSIONER: And that was on the basis that they would play along? In other words ...(intervention)

MR CRONJE: Correct.

COMMISSIONER: But I understand from you that they didn't play along, in fact, as it worked out.

MR CRONJE: Mr Commissioner, I never spoke to the players in Cochin.

MS BATOHI: If we continue with that transcript, Sanjay then says: "No, but I told you, I've already given him altogether 60." Can you comment on that statement by Sanjay?

MR CRONJE: That's what is says.

MS BATOHI: Well, did he say that to you?

MR CRONJE: As I say, I cannot remember. Sixty what, Ms Batohi?

MS BATOHI: Well, I was hoping that you'd be able to help us with that.

MR CRONJE: As I said, I had a lot of conversations with Sanjay. I'm not sure what he's referring to.

COMMISSIONER: But all your conversations, presumably, didn't cover questions of match -fixing and then playing him along, all these 10 or so conversations that you had with him. There must have been some of them that were about other subjects, other matters, or not.

MR CRONJE: I was introduced to Sanjay in Durban and my understanding was that he was a gambler, and most of the conversations took place along those lines.

COMMISSIONER: Carry on, Ms Batohi.

MS BATOHI: Thank you, Mr Commissioner. And did - I'm just going to go further down with this transcript and see how best we can deal with it. Sanjay then says: "And tomorrow I can deposit the money in your account. It is not a problem." Well, before I get there. If you look at the previous line that I read to you: "No, but I told you, I've already given him altogether 60." In your dealings with Sanjay who would he have given money to, and who would - for you, so who could that 'him' possibly refer to?

MR CRONJE: In Sanjay and my dealings the only person that I know with was myself and Sanjay. I was introduced to Sanjay by Hamid.

MS BATOHI: Now Sanjay in this line says: "I have already given him altogether 60." Would he have given some other person money that was meant for you?

MR CRONJE: Not that I'm aware of, no.

MS BATOHI: So have you any idea who this "him" could possibly refer to?

MR CRONJE: As I've said to you, Ms Batohi, the only triangle is myself and Sanjay and Hamid. Hamid introduced me to Sanjay, and that's all I ever spoke to.

MS BATOHI: Because you then - Mr Commissioner, it's very, very difficult questioning in this fashion. It's going to be - you know, I can't put it to Mr Cronjé as a fact because it's being - the questions are being asked on the basis that it could have taken place. The conversation could have taken place and it makes it very, very difficult to cross-examine without an authentic transcript of some sort. I have tried thus far, but at the end of the day, I really don't know how far we can go with a transcript of this nature. I will perhaps continue, but it's just all in the air so to speak, you know.

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