“It is further alleged that funds were injected to one deserving NGO‚ which was later coerced to take up another separate NGO as a subsidiary. The funds from the subsidiary was allegedly used for personal gain and further transferred to a personal account‚” he said.

He was arrested on August 24 at the Beit Bridge border crossing after he and his wife tried to cross the border. But he claims he was on his way to go visit his mother for a weekend in Zimbabwe.

According to his affidavit‚ which was read out in the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Wednesday‚ he was told by the US embassy to “stay put” - this was after the Hawks investigators first called him on August 22.

“At that time I had no knowledge of what the purpose of the investigating officer’s call was‚ however‚ as he is part of the authorities‚ I felt duty bound to revert to him and I did so‚” he said.

He said that he informed the embassy of the telephone call after he also spoke with his Johannesburg based attorney.

He said that the embassy told him that the “South Africans should seek permission of the US embassy” if there was a need for them to “have my audience”. He said that the embassy told him at the time that the Hawks had not made such a request and he subsequently decided to take his trip to Zimbabwe.