Conradie's MTC 'plan' shocked

DV8 Saatchi & Saatchi boss Mark Bongers, who is one of the star witnesses in the corruption trial of lawyer Dirk Conradie and Sara Damases, has testified that his wife and business partner, Kim Field, was shocked by Conradie's offer regarding a N$60 million MTC advertising tender.

Bongers, under cross-examination in the High Court, maintained that Conradie had during a secretly recorded meeting held in June 2012, lifted the veil on his unfolding plan to use his board chairmanship of MTC to get the tender awarded to DV8.

This would have been in exchange for Damases being appointed as a black empowerment partner on the board of the advertising agency.

The meeting, which took place in the Conradie & Damaseb law offices, had included Bongers, Field, Conradie and unidentified persons.

Bongers had shared what had transpired with the rest of his business partners the following day.

“My wife was shocked and confused and all of us asked what we are going to do,” Bongers said, adding they were caught completely off-guard and were incredibly uncomfortable.

He conceded the provisions of the tender document prohibited communication between MTC and any bidding company. The other two bidders were Advantage Y&R Namibia and Young Designers Advertising.

“No direct contact between MTC through any person is permissible,” Bongers conceded.

He maintained he was “summoned” by Conradie, who was the chairperson of the MTC board, even though he admitted this would mean his company could be disqualified from the tender process. Bongers said he and Field gave the recordings to the ACC after they were made on 12 June 2012. Conradie and his co-accused were arrested shortly thereafter. Conradie, 56, and Damases, 51, are facing three charges in connection with contravention of the Anti-Corruption Act. They are accused of corruptly soliciting or agreeing to accept for the benefit of himself or another person, a gratification as an inducement or reward to influence procuring a contract.

Among the other charges is that Conradie corruptly used his office or position to obtain a gratification for self or another person, the indictment states.

During cross-examination by state advocate Ed Marondedze, Bongers confirmed that as the meeting with Conradie progressed he realised something was amiss, which may have legal repercussions.

However, he denied he encouraged or influenced the accused to say what they were saying.

When questioned by Vas Soni SC from South Africa, who is appearing for Conradie, Bongers stated the offer was a major development in his business and was the first thing he had discussed with his partners the next day.

“We discussed the offer, the events leading to the offer as well as how to handle the issue,” he testified.

Soni put it to Bongers the purpose of their meeting after the alleged offer was how their company would benefit from the impropriety. Bongers insisted yesterday he could not recall an email sent to him on 6 June 2012, in which MTC informed him that no decision had been taken regarding the tender and that the parastatal's board would take a decision at a convenient time.

Soni expressed worry that the witness could not recall the email, because this was an important exchange as far as the contract was concerned.

According to Soni, the reason for Bongers not remembering was because this had spurred him to meet with Conradie. “You are misleading the court,” Soni said. Vetu Uanivi appears on behalf of Damases, while Judge Thomas Masuku presides.

The trial continues.