Annex 5
Extracts from tape recorded interviews
with The Sunday Times
Interview with Jaffer Kapasi, Ross Walk, Leicester,
11 May 2000, re Keith Vaz with David Leppard and Gareth Walsh
of The Sunday Times in his office
(A) "DL: Did you make the
cheques . . . several cheques you say?
JK: Well yes, yes [inaudible] and
also, whether he declared it or not, that's up to him.
DL: It's nothing to do with you. You've
done nothing wrong."
(B) "DL: There were three
cheques. And you say more than £800 or £900 altogether.
More than £1,000 in fact. What . . . £1,500?
JK: Er . . . £1,500 . . . yes."
(C) "DL: And was the cheque
from your personal bank account . . . The cheques?
JK: Two were, and one from the community.
DL: And what's the name of the community?
JK: It's just called Dawoodi community.
DL: Dawoodi.
[JK spells name "Dawoodi" to DL].
DL: What, a Muslim thing. And you are the
. . . chief?
JK: I mean, I'm not the big chief. I'm one
of the chiefs.
DL: You're one of the leaders . . . Look,
my question to you is: don't you think that this has placed Mr
Vaz in a difficult position? And may have compromised him as well?
[seven seconds silence]
JK: Yes, you know, I think the way people
are reading it [inaudible]"
(D) "DL: This puts you in
a much more difficult position if you made the cheque to him—as
you must realise now. There's nothing wrong with you donating
money to a political party. But if you make a donation like that
to an MP, in his own name, after he offers to help you, and also
says: `Can you help me?'—he said `Can you help me?'—that
places you in a very difficult position, doesn't it. Do you regret
doing that?
JK: Well in a way, yes, because to be honest
I don't understand the system. [Inaudible]"
(E) "DL: So basically, Sir
Peter has written a letter, in which one sentence, he says `I
telephoned Mr Jaffer Kapasi, who confirmed that he had been asked
repeatedly for a campaign contribution. `Is that true?' You've
been asked repeatedly for a campaign contribution?
JK: Yes—but its not related to this
particular matter.
DL: But it relates to the £1,500.
JK: [Inaudible].
DL: Did Mr Vaz ask you repeatedly, did he?
JK: [Inaudible] he asked, but not
repeatedly."
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