Amnesty Hearings — Cape Town — 2000-09-26

WOUTER J BASSON: Project matters.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Why were you discussing the fact of Aitchison's arrest at that meeting?

WOUTER J BASSON: Mr Chairperson, Mr Maree recruited Aitchison and he applied him and then suddenly this person was arrested, it is a reason to be concerned about.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Alright.  And you were aware that Aitchison had been arrested in connection with the assassination of Lubowski?

WOUTER J BASSON: That is correct, yes.

MR KAHANOVITZ: You were aware that the CCB had recruited Aitchison, so you had every reason to be worried?

WOUTER J BASSON: That is correct, yes.

MR KAHANOVITZ: You were also aware that Aitchison was at that time in Windhoek on the instructions of the CCB?

WOUTER J BASSON: That's correct, yes.

MR KAHANOVITZ: What was Aitchison doing in Windhoek?

WOUTER J BASSON: Mr Chairperson, if I can recall, Mr Maree's purpose was to use Aitchison as a long-term plan to establish him there and mainly to create his cover to such an extent that after independence he can then still be of use to us.  So his specific function would then be the establishment of his private life.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Why was Maree specifically appointed as Aitchison's handler, as opposed to Van Zyl or Botha or anybody else?

WOUTER J BASSON: Mr Chairperson, I cannot specifically give a reason for this.  I do not know.  Mr Maree was maybe the most suitable person at that stage.  I cannot recall if there was a specific reason.

MR KAHANOVITZ: I think you know what I'm asking you, it was a Namibian operation, we were told that Mr Maree, generally speaking, operates, was hired, recruited to operate within the borders of the country.

WOUTER J BASSON: That's correct, yes.

MR KAHANOVITZ: ...(indistinct) in that context, why was he being made ...(end of side B of tape)

WOUTER J BASSON: ... or one of his tasks was to concentrate in foreign countries and on the possibilities there, and it could be one of the reasons why he was given Namibia at that stage.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Now you'll see Mr Botha also says that he received an instruction to steal the guest book at the Royal Ascot Hotel and he drew the inference that the reason why he had to do this was because Aitchison and Maree had had a meeting there.  You recall this?

WOUTER J BASSON: That is correct, yes.

MR KAHANOVITZ: His evidence is true?

WOUTER J BASSON: That's correct.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Did you personally have any dealings with Aitchison?

WOUTER J BASSON: No.

MR KAHANOVITZ: But you were involved in the process that led to his recruitment.

WOUTER J BASSON: Yes, I was aware of it.

MR KAHANOVITZ: We've heard evidence about a so-called CV that was obtained.

WOUTER J BASSON: That is correct, yes.

MR KAHANOVITZ: And do you also confirm the evidence that the - I think you've already given evidence to the effect that you were aware that Aitchison fancied himself as a hit man.

WOUTER J BASSON: That is correct, yes.

MR KAHANOVITZ: So this man comes to you and he says "I'm a hit man, please offer me work", you send him to Namibia. It would be logical to infer that one of the reasons you send him to Namibia, is to assassinate people.

WOUTER J BASSON: Maybe it seems logical to you, but for me it's not.  I'm not saying that we would not have used him in the future, but at that stage it was not his instructions.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Now Aitchison gave a statement to the South African Police after he was released from detention in Namibia, in that statement he says that he met with Maree on more than one occasion in Windhoek.  Are you in a position to confirm or deny that?

WOUTER J BASSON: I cannot recall when Mr Maree saw or where he saw him.

MR KAHANOVITZ: But in general terms you are aware that Mr Maree was travelling to Windhoek from time to time.

WOUTER J BASSON: Mr Maree was at certain stages in Windhoek, yes.

MR KAHANOVITZ: And being Mr Aitchison's handler, one of his functions would be to meet with Aitchison.

WOUTER J BASSON: Yes, he had to meet him there.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Now Mr Aitchison says in his statement that one of the tasks he was given was to monitor the Editor of the Namibian newspaper, Gwen Lister.  Are you in a position to confirm or deny that?

WOUTER J BASSON: Chairperson, I cannot recall whether it was an instruction for him to do so, what I do recall is that he had to establish himself in the country physically.  I cannot recall whether at that stage he had received specific instructions.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Well he says that he was told that there was to be a project to poison Gwen Lister.

WOUTER J BASSON: I don't know about it.  I would have known about it, but I don't know about it.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Mr Aitchison also says that he was instructed by Mr Maree to monitor Adv Lubowski's movements.

WOUTER J BASSON: I would have known about it.  I deny it.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Do I understand your version to be the following as regards the assassination of Adv Lubowski.  There is no doubt whatsoever that the CCB, at an early stage in that year, was for its reasons, interested in Adv Lubowski and for that reason you monitored him during the time that he was in South Africa?

WOUTER J BASSON: That is correct.

MR KAHANOVITZ: And if I understand your version, the purpose of that monitoring was not reconnaissance for the purposes of  doing him harm, but pure intelligence gathering?

WOUTER J BASSON: Correct.

MR KAHANOVITZ: And if I understand your version further, that notwithstanding the fact that all the evidence has been that the CCB did not engage in pure intelligence gathering, this is an exception to that rule?

WOUTER J BASSON: Chairperson, one cannot make an assumption that it was the only person regarding whom intelligence was gathered, intelligence was gathered regarding many persons.  That is not a correct assumption.

MR KAHANOVITZ: I don't want to waste time, I don't accept your answer, let me move on.  However, when it comes to the CCB's activities in Namibia, you are now disinterested in Adv Lubowski.

WOUTER J BASSON: Chairperson, I never received an instruction for anything to be done to him.  I received an instruction to monitor him internally.  That was done.  There was an instruction which came through the channels but no further  instruction came for something to happen to him in Namibia.

MR KAHANOVITZ: Where you given an instruction to pay Donald Aitchison's legal fees?

WOUTER J BASSON: I was never given such an instruction.

MR KAHANOVITZ: But what happens now is that low and behold this man gets assassinated, low and behold Donald Aitchison, who is handled by Chappie Maree, gets arrested as the prime suspect.  So far we agree.  The CCB is so worried about this that they go and attempt to destroy evidence that could link them to Donald Aitchison.  So far so good?

WOUTER J BASSON: Chairperson, it is a possibility that if he were to have been guilty, that there was concern that Mr Maree would be involved or would be implicated with him and it was a logical conclusion for us to try and see whether we could avoid his involvement.

MR KAHANOVITZ: So you're telling me what you were worried about was that Aitchison off his own bat, might have killed Lubowski and therefore you wanted to destroy the links between Aitchison and the CCB?

WOUTER J BASSON: Chairperson, it is possible, yes.  I don't know whether he did it or not, I don't know whether he was used by anybody else, I cannot say, but if he were to have been guilty, it would have appeared as if Maree was directly involved.

MR KAHANOVITZ: I understand that.  Now I assume that the CCB must have conducted their own enquiries in an endeavour to establish who had assassinated Adv Lubowski, because now you're terribly concerned about this possible link.   Correct?

WOUTER J BASSON: That is correct.

MR KAHANOVITZ: And what did those investigations reveal?