Special Hearings — Chemical And Biological Warfare Hearings — 1998-07-07

DR RANDERA: Dr Mijburgh when this happened you said you were communicating with the South African defence force or more specifically with South African medical services. Now as I understand it from what you said to us earlier on you were already the MD of several companies. What was your relationship to the army at that time? Were you still working for the army?

DR MIJBURGH: No.

DR RANDERA: Can we understand why they asked you? We all understand that you are a friend of Dr Basson's. You are not working in the army any longer. You denied being a member of special forces. What was the relationship you had? Because at that time the front companies were being either sold off and you certainly have taken large - you have shares in many companies. So what is your role that you are playing? You don't have a position within the defence forces but yet somebody approached you, you don't even know who it is to go on a trip to be a communicator between the South African army and what is happening in Switzerland. Can you make us understand how this is happening?

DR MIJBURGH: I can't remember who asked me to go with. It might have been Dr Basson himself. If I look at the fact that there was a claim submitted at a later stage it also meant that I paid my own expenses at that stage and that I recovered it later. I don't know whether things perhaps happened so quickly that somebody had to go with him on a basis of urgency. But I will always be a liaison person. It was an extremely sensitive and confidential matter. Perhaps I did it as a friend. But I could communicate with the defence force if he was rearrested.

DR RANDERA: But who was going to tell you because you can't remember who you were supposed to be communicating with? Was Dr Basson going to tell you who to communicate with?

DR MIJBURGH: No his attorney. There was an attorney acting for him in Switzerland. I can't remember his name now.

DR RANDERA: And you saying that you still had no role within the defence forces at that time. You played no (...intervention)

DR MIJBURGH: I had no role in the defence force any longer.

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Vally?

MR VALLY: These forged bonds which Dr Basson allegedly had with him can you give us a bit more detail on that?

DR MIJBURGH: No I can't.

MR VALLY: All you know is he had false bonds, he was arrested?

DR MIJBURGH: That is what he told me.

MR VALLY: He asked you as a friend to go with him to be a communicator?

DR MIJBURGH: If he was to be arrested again yes.

MR VALLY: You didn't know who you had to contact in South Africa?

DR MIJBURGH: I would have contacted the defence force if he was arrested.

MR VALLY: Some one in the defence force? You weren't sure who?

DR MIJBURGH: I can't remember specifically no. I would have to speculate yes.

MR VALLY: Dr Mijburgh you are being obtuse. I put to you that you know a lot more about this involvement in the defence force in the purchase of Methaqualone than you are admitting. What is your response to that?

DR MIJBURGH: That is not true. It is the first time I have heard of this transaction.

MR VALLY: But you knew that you had to send the bill to the army to pay for you flight?

DR MIJBURGH: I beg your pardon?

MR VALLY: You knew that you had to send the account for your flight to the army?

DR MIJBURGH: I did submit a claim at some point and the claim was approved and I was recompensed.

MR VALLY: You knew you had to do that?

DR MIJBURGH: I can't remember specifically whether I knew it before hand or not.

MR VALLY: But you knew it after you came back?

DR MIJBURGH: I don't know at what stage I knew. I submitted a claim and I was compensated.

MR VALLY: Who paid for your flight?

DR MIJBURGH: Initially I paid but then the defence force paid me out again.

MR VALLY: Let's go onto another issue. I have given you a list, I have headed it list of possible military front companies or companies related thereto. There is 102 companies on it. Do you have that list?

DR MIJBURGH: Yes.

MR VALLY: Have you been able to identify which companies you were a director of?

DR MIJBURGH: Yes.

MR VALLY: Please tell us?

DR MIJBURGH: Delta-G Scientific.

MR VALLY: That is number?

DR MIJBURGH: 25. Ecotox (Pty) Ltd, Kowolsky International, Lifestyle Management.

MR VALLY: Give me the number as well please?

DR MIJBURGH: 41, 44, I am not sure about 45. 48, 51, 53 Medchem Pharmaceuticals. 64 Protechnic. 79 Truned Investments was changed to a different name. I don't think I was a director of that companies. I think those are the companies as far as I am concerned that I can remember that I was a director of.

MR VALLY: Number 14 BSI Medchem?

DR MIJBURGH: That is not an existing company. I don't know where that comes from.

MR VALLY: Number 26 DG Chemic (Pty) Ltd.?

DR MIJBURGH: I don't know such a company DG Chemicals.

MR VALLY: Number 54 Medchem Sports International (Pty) Ltd.?

DR MIJBURGH: I might have been a director. I can't remember. I don't think I was.

MR VALLY: Number 56 Midrand Consolidated Investments (Pty) Ltd?

DR MIJBURGH: I don't think I was a director of that company. I was a shareholder. But I don't think a director.

MR VALLY: Now (...intervention)

CHAIRPERSON: Mr Vally is it possible to ask Dr Mijburgh which companies he was shareholder in other than those he was a director of?

MR VALLY: Certainly. Dr Mijburgh?

DR MIJBURGH: I don't think I was a personal shareholder of any of these companies but there were cross-shareholdings between the companies and those that I mentioned of which I was a director I think were either Medchem Consolidated Investments I was a shareholder or the family trust which I founded to deal with shareholdings was a shareholder. I don't think there are any others.

MR VALLY: These companies that you have identified where you were a director were they involved in contracts with the defence force?

DR MIJBURGH: Some of them yes.

MR VALLY: Most of them?

DR MIJBURGH: I didn't count specifically. Can I mention those who were involved in contracts?

MR VALLY: Please do.

DR MIJBURGH: Delta-G.

MR VALLY: Let's talk about - let me give you the numbers. Number 14 you say you were not sure?

DR MIJBURGH: They did not have - Medchem does not exist.

CHAIRPERSON: I beg your pardon. Well let's talk about number 25.

DR MIJBURGH: Yes it had - Delta-G Scientific it had contract.

MR VALLY: 26?

DR MIJBURGH: This company is not known to me.

MR VALLY: 27?

DR MIJBURGH: Ecotox as far as I know did not have defence force contract.

MR VALLY: What did they do?

DR MIJBURGH: It was founded as a co-operation agreement between Delta-G, Medchem, Protechnic to render services in connection with air pollution specifically in connection with the sick building syndrome.

MR VALLY: So let's just stop there. If it had dealings with Protechnic and Delta-G who we know is a military front company it certainly had contact with defence force that way.

DR MIJBURGH: Ecotox?

MR VALLY: Yes.

DR MIJBURGH: No it had no contact with the defence force.

MR VALLY: It didn't do any work for the defence force?

DR MIJBURGH: Not as far as I can recall.

MR VALLY: Fine, go on number 41?

DR MIJBURGH: Kowolsky had no defence contracts.

MR VALLY: Except when you used the name sometimes when the (...intervention)

DR MIJBURGH: Yes but that was a inter-group transaction.

MR VALLY: Well it was a subsidiary of Medchem you said?

DR MIJBURGH: Of Medchem Consolidated Investments.

MR VALLY: Right we will come to Medchem now. Lifestyle Management?

DR MIJBURGH: They had defence contracts yes.

MR VALLY: Lifestyle Management Properties, 45?

DR MIJBURGH: No that was an asset company which just owned certain land and property.

MR VALLY: Maison de Medchem?

DR MIJBURGH: No.

MR VALLY: Did it have any government contracts?

DR MIJBURGH: Maison de Medchem?

MR VALLY: Yes.