Image By: City Press
The business rescue, business turnaround, and liquidation profession is in mourning following the death of Cloete Murray who was gunned down, along with his son, in Midrand on Saturday 18 March.
Described as a hard man of South African liquidation, Murry was very well known within the profession and often had a no-nonsense approach to his business and addressing some of the country’s major liquidation cases.
An article by News24 details his shooting.
A brutal attack
The News24 article points out that one of the bullets that tore through the Toyota Prado of Cloete and Thomas Murray shattered the rear window and entered through the back of the driver’s side head rest, one of at least eight expertly placed shots that ultimately claimed the life of one of the country’s most feared corruption busters and his son.
At least seven more shots were fired at the car just after 14:00 on Saturday – entering through the rear door, the pillar between the driver’s door and the rear door, the driver’s side window, and what appears to be one stray shot through the roof.
Thomas Murray, 28, was declared dead at the scene on Saturday afternoon. Cloete would die later at Netcare Sunninghill Hospital after being placed on life support, surrounded by his family. At least nine shots were fired at their car from inside another vehicle that is believed to have pulled up next to the Murrays, firing shots in quick succession just after the New Road offramp on the N1 North.
Image By: Kyle Cowan/News24
Both men sustained gunshot wounds to their heads and upper bodies. The vehicle came to a juddering halt after colliding at slow speed with the cement barrier – ripping apart the left front tyre and damaging the rim, suggesting the car immediately stopped accelerating after the shots rang out.
The article adds that the front right of the Prado also sustained some damage – suggestive of an impact and possibly a collision with the vehicle used by the killers, who remain unidentified and at large. A broken pair of sunglasses fell between the centre console and the driver’s seat. The seat and centre console are covered in blood. Blood spattered the roof lining and would later pool on the road where Cloete was treated by paramedics. The steering wheel is caked in dried blood, that also pooled in the driver’s seat and covered the arm rest, the black leather turned dark red.
A pair of keys remained on the passenger seat and, on the back seat, a small air canister used to inflate bicycle wheels. An avid cyclist, Cloete is believed to have participated in a group ride on Saturday morning.
Ripple effect
The article points out that their murders have sparked concern in the insolvency and legal fraternity, with fears that a chilling effect will cause curators and liquidators to avoid taking on politically sensitive and serious corruption cases. News24 reported on Sunday that politically connected individuals with direct links to the most senior levels of the ANC were in the Murray’s cross-hairs.
Meanwhile the National Prosecuting Authority have assembled a team under the leadership of a designated prosecutor to investigate the Murrays’ murders. A senior manager at the NPA told News24 the organisation is taking the matter very seriously and that it will follow the prosecutor guided investigation (PGI) model.
“We are engaging very proactively with the SAPS and Hawks on this case and have assigned a prosecutor to guide [the investigation]. We cannot afford the targeting of curators, the ripple effect will be devastating,” a senior manager at the NPA told News24.
The article adds that this prosecutor guided approach from the outset of the case is meant to ensure a faultless and swift investigation into the Murray murders, that are seen as a major blow to several major state capture and corruption cases – and, while important, will also now have to contend with an early fumble in the investigation, witnessed by News24 reporters, as crucial evidence was left behind in the Murray’s Prado, and not collected or apparently, examined.
Police have not yet been able to obtain CCTV footage from Sanral cameras placed along the stretch of highway, as the control room operator did not know how to download the footage, News24 understands.
The Murrays had spent some time on Saturday morning in the Melrose Arch area, with information from police sources indicating they had travelled on Athol Oaklands Avenue and Willow Brook Street, with a last positive location in that area at 12.17. It remains unclear whether they had attended a meeting, but the vehicle provided a clue that was inexplicably not taken by police officers assigned to investigate the double murder.
The file in the Murray vehicle
The article points out that in the footwell of the rear passenger seat lay a file for a company that was placed under provisional liquidation earlier this month. The blue paper folder emblazoned with the logo Sechaba Trust, Murray’s company.
The liquidation application was brought by Investec Bank against I2 Infinite Innovation, a company owned by Rushil and Nishani Singh, who are locked in a battle with Investec over unpaid loans totalling an estimated R180 million, obtained by a company linked to the Singh’s BIG Business Innovations Group, in what the bank has alleged in court papers was an “elaborate scheme”.
BIG was placed under provisional liquidation in November last year and Cloete was appointed along with other liquidators, and it is apparent Murray wasted no time in launching investigations and auctioning assets, including a McLaren sports car.
Deeds records show the company is heavily indebted to Investec, with at least R13 million in bonds for properties. News24 was not immediately able to identify the exact location of the properties, but has confirmed that Investec approached the courts to wind up I2 as a result of the default events linked to the Singh’s other company, BIG.
The article adds that the appointment of provisional liquidators was only affected by the Master of the High Court on Wednesday, 15 March, according to documents on the website of Sechaba Trust.
Rushil Singh is a wealthy businessman who, according to court papers, has extensive government contracts and is well-known for owning several high-end sportscars – including a McLaren P1 and one of only 500 McLaren Senna’s.
Both Rushil and Nishani were approached for comment, but had not responded at the time of writing. They are opposing court proceedings launched by Investec.
The News24 article points out that at least one of Singh’s vehicles was purchased from Daytona, a luxury car dealership located at Melrose Arch – near the area where police located the Murrays earlier on Saturday. The presence of the file in the vehicle suggests they were searching for assets linked to I2, with Cloete along to assist Thomas.
Image By: Kyle Cowan/News24
I2 represented among his first cases as a liquidator, although he had extensive experience assisting his father on other high-profile matters, including Bosasa.
The article points out that Investec would not comment on specific questions around I2 as its client relationships are confidential, but extended its condolences to the Murray family.
“Investec had a long-standing relationship with Cloete and more recently Thomas.
“They were extremely competent and well-respected liquidators with whom we worked on various matters over the years,” a spokesperson for the bank said.
“We urge law enforcement to work tirelessly to bring the perpetrators of this senseless crime to book as soon as possible.”
Murray was fearless
The News24 article points out that, while Murray never led a public life, he was well-known in the insolvency industry. The tall, thin man, with close cropped grey hair, arriving at a business premises with a bandolier of locks in hand normally heralded a thorough and courteous evisceration of fraud schemes and corruption, no matter how well hidden, and usually, a successful recovery of millions for the tax man and other creditors.
In recent years, Murray, when working, was rarely seen without Thomas, who looked set on taking over the family business in the future.
He was described as “fearless”.
In July 2021, Murray caused a R3.6 million claim to be filed against the ANC – money he says the party owed Bosasa, a deeply corrupt facilities management company, formerly run by Gavin Watson, that had paid the money to the ANC in the run-up to the 2014 national election.
The article adds that, in 2020, he and other liquidators working on the Bosasa group of companies, served a R91 million claim on Angelo Agrizzi – the man who had turned the tables on Watson, and spilled the beans during marathon testimony before the Zondo Commission.
He also tackled the estates of figures, like Radovan Krejcir, who invited him for a braai after he served a preservation order on him, Murray told Radio 702’s Bruce Whitfield.
Murray has, in recent years, encountered some of the most high-profile and notorious figures, including Julius Malema, Dave King and Lolly Jackson.
He was also liquidating Trillian – the Gupta-linked company that Eskom and SARS want to recover R595 million and R355 million respectively. He was also involved in the liquidation of Tubular Construction Projects, an Eskom contractor that is facing charges for corruption together with former Eskom boss Frans Hlakudi – here Standard Bank has a claim of R560 million.
The article points out that, on behalf of SARS, Murray and his company, Sechaba Trust, were also conducting the affairs of the tobacco baron, Paul de Robillard, who is on the hook for millions SARS believes a company he owns is behind in taxes and penalties.
While sharing stories of his adventures, Murray told Whitfield presciently during the 2020 interview: “There is no limit to what people will do in these sorts of situations.”
The article adds that there are no known arrangements for the funeral of father and son. Cloete would have celebrated his 58th birthday on Sunday, 26 March, while Thomas was recently married and was a young father.
