Auditor at Selebi trial rapped for ‘opinions’

Forensic auditor Dean Friedman came under attack from Jackie Selebi’s advocate on Tuesday morning for expressing ‘opinions” on Selebi’s alleged corrupt relationship with drug-dealer Glenn Agliotti.

Audit firm KPMG’s forensic department, of which Friedman is a director, was contracted by the Scorpions to perform a lifestyle audit of Selebi’s income and expenses, and also analyse alleged cash payments made by Agliotti to Selebi. Selebi has denied receiving cash from Agliotti.

Friedman told the South Gauteng High Court on Tuesday he was asked by the Scorpions to identify certain suspect payments from the Agliotti-controlled Spring Lights account that could’ve been for Selebi’s benefit.

He was given a ‘draft statement” by Agliotti that listed a number of alleged payments to Selebi, including payments of R110 000 and R200 000 at the end of 2004.

Friedman testified on Monday that Selebi’s cash withdrawals from his own cheque and credit-card accounts decreased dramatically during the first few months of 2005.

He said this indicated that Selebi had access to other funding.

Selebi’s counsel Jaap Cilliers criticised Friedman during cross-examination, accusing him of expressing opinions when his investigation couldn’t prove that any of the Agliotti payments landed up in Selebi’s bank accounts.

‘To summarise, Mr Friedman, you couldn’t find proof of any use of cash obtained in an unlawful manner in the Selebi household,” Cilliers said, to which Friedman responded: ‘If counsel refers to the cash of Agliotti, we didn’t find proof that it was used in the Selebi household, but I indicated a number of questions that arise.”

Chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel told the court that KPMG’s investigation wasn’t a typical ‘forensic investigation” where an expert witness would be called to express his opinion, but that the state would merely rely on facts discovered by KPMG and certain ‘inferences” drawn by Friedman.

Cilliers produced a file compiled by Selebi’s wife Ann that, according to him, explained why the family spent more money during certain months than in others. During 2004 the Selebis spent a large amount on renovations at their home.

Thereafter, the family’s expenses decreased. Cross-examination continues.