Matlala dismisses Cele's evidence, accuses him of lying under oath

Controversial businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala has dismissed the evidence of former minister, Bheki Cele, accusing him of lying under oath about their relationship.

Matlala also said that he paid Cele a total of R500,000 in two separate payments and also helped transport Cele and his wife to a wedding.

Matlala was giving evidence before Parliament’s ad hoc committee around his relationship with Cele and suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.

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Cele testified in October before the committee that his relationship with Matlala was based on gathering information.

Cele also said that he met Matlala in Pretoria, a submission Matlala has rejected, saying that he met Cele for the first time in Durban.

Matlala testified that Cele’s meeting was also not for information gathering or Cele would have declared the payments.

EFF leader Julius Malema asked him if Cele lied to the committee.

"Yes he lied under oath. If he was asking, for me, he was sucking information. Why would he even ask me to ask my protectors to take me and his wife to take him to a wedding somewhere in Lanseria."

Matlala also said that Cele was hellbent on collapsing Mchunu’s political ambitions.

He also said that Cele was extorting him and stopped taking his calls before he was arrested in May this year.