Death threats from a gambling loan shark and his debt collector named “Killer” are entangled in missing safety deposit boxes worth R8million, related to a Gupta-linked Transnet corruption case.
These shocking revelations are contained in businessman Kubentheran Moodley’s testimony recorded on Tuesday at the South Gauteng High Court, regarding what happened to the State-seized safety-deposit boxes worth R8.3m, which were part of the R232m court order that restrained assets belonging to Moodley and his company, Albatime.
The Star listened to Moodley’s testimony, where he detailed how he gave the boxes to a debt collector he knew as “Killer”, who was sent last month by a loan shark referred to as Mr X, from whom Moodley had borrowed R2.2m in July last year.
The media was barred from covering the testimony after Moodley’s lawyer, advocate Dawie Joubert, fought to protect his client’s evidence, citing “confidential information” to be shared.
Moodley testified that he knew Mr X for about two or three years from the casinos, as someone who provided loans at exorbitant interest rates to avid gamblers needing fast cash.
Moodley said he approached Mr X for money last year, after investigators working with the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture restrained assets worth R232m, related to alleged corruption involving Regiments Capital Advisory’s work at Transnet.
“I borrowed, in total, R2.2m from him (Mr X). It was a verbal agreement - that is how all the guys that we borrow money from in the casino work,” Moodley testified.
He said the cash was delivered to his house in July last year in R100 and R200 notes, which Moodley said arrived in three tranches, and was stored in his garage and his car.
Moodley added that the terms of the loan was that he would pay 10% compound interest, which State advocate Nick Ferreira said amounted to about R7m when the boxes were handed to collector Killer last month.
Moodley stressed that he had to give Killer and Mr X the boxes because the latter had begun to threaten him and his family.
The State said the boxes contained foreign currency, including US dollars, euros and Indian rupees, worth R2.2m; local cash worth R3.3m; and Krugerrand coins worth R3.1m. There were also “38 articles” of diamonds, jewellery and watches, which had not been quantified by the Zondo Commission.
“He (Mr X) said to me: ‘I want my money (and) you better make a plan, or borrow it from somebody. I’m going to kill you (and) I’m going to kill your family.’ I was really scared,” a sombre-sounding Moodley said.
On Tuesday, Judge Brian Spilg ordered curator Mike Stewart to probe Moodley’s claims and report back next month.
The matter returns next month.