North West businessman and former ANC provincial treasurer Suliman Carrim has told the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court that his planned trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was encouraged by his doctor to help him cope with fear, anxiety, panic attacks and other health problems.

Carrim, 49, was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Thursday night while preparing to board a flight to the UAE with his wife. He appeared in court on Friday, facing a charge of contravening the Commissions Act after repeatedly failing to return to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where he had begun testifying.

He previously cited ill health as the reason for his absence from the commission.

Testifying during his bail application, Carrim said his doctor had encouraged him to undertake the journey for spiritual upliftment.

“I was going to the pilgrimage, my doctor encouraged me to go. But I was not going there alone, I had my medication and I was with my wife. He said the trip will make me better because I’ve been living in fear,” he told the court.

Carrim said he suffers from a condition that causes blackouts and panic attacks, adding that the commission was aware of his health challenges. He also told the court that he had undertaken similar annual trips for the past 15 to 17 years.

According to evidence presented in court, his itinerary involved travelling through Dubai to Saudi Arabia for a religious pilgrimage before stopping in Pakistan to distribute sweets, biscuits and other snacks to children. These items reportedly accounted for a substantial portion of the five bags of luggage he was carrying.

His legal team argued that Carrim had a return ticket and intended to return to South Africa later in October.

However, state prosecutor Advocate Donald Shiko questioned the explanation, asking why a doctor would encourage international travel when Carrim had cited health problems as the reason for missing further appearances before the commission.

The state also raised concerns about whether Carrim had a return ticket when he was arrested, the amount of luggage he was carrying, and his ownership of multiple properties across South Africa.

Questions were also raised about previous cases, which Carrim said he did not know about and which had since been withdrawn.

Investigating officers described him as a potential flight risk as the state opposed his release on bail.

The bail application was postponed to Monday to allow the state to verify documents, including Carrim’s travel arrangements and residential addresses. He remains in custody at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre over the weekend.

Carrim has also been linked to separate ongoing investigations into alleged fraud and corruption involving a North West municipality.

The bail proceedings are expected to continue tommorow, Monday.

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