Gupta blacklist committee was set up to probe Gordhan – not banks: DA
The Democratic Alliance says that an inter-ministerial committee set up by resources minister, Mosebenzi Zwane, to investigate why banks terminated their services with Oakbay Investments, was actually set up to probe finance minister, Pravin Gordhan.
It follows an exclusive report by Fin24, which found that UK-based public relations firm, Bell Pottinger – which represents the Gupta family – allegedly knew about Zwane’s bank probe before Cabinet did.
“This raises fresh questions about Zwane’s proximity to the Gupta family and their businesses, and the origins of the controversial inter-ministerial committee statement,” Fin24 said.
Earlier this month Zwane stated that Cabinet approved that a judicial inquiry be considered to probe the country’s banks after they terminated their services to the Gupta owned Oakbay Investments.
Cabinet has since distanced itself from Zwane’s statements.
“The leaked findings of minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on the termination of financial services to Oakbay Investments, suggest that the real target of the proposal to establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry may have been the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, who did not participate in meetings of the Inter-Ministerial Committee,” said DA shadow finance minister, David Maynier.
“Terrifyingly, the leaked document states that enough information has been supplied to suggest that the Judicial Commission of Inquiry be established to: ‘consider the allegations against certain members of Cabinet and their abuse of powers and authority as well as the various banks or institutions in question as regards alleged collusion and/or failure to comply with FICA [sic] alternatively with PCCAA’.”
Maynier noted that this is quite different from the Inter-Ministerial Committee’s statement on 01 September 2016, which simply states that Cabinet resolved: ‘To recommend to the President that given the nature of the allegations and the response received that the President consider establishing a Judicial Enquiry [sic] in terms of section 84 (2) (f) of the Constitution’.
“The leaked findings, therefore, suggest, for the first time, that the real intention behind the proposal to establish a Judicial Commission of Inquiry was to target and investigate cabinet members for their role in the termination of financial services to Oakbay Investments,” Maynier said.
“And it’s hard not to conclude that the cabinet member who would have been most likely investigated is the Minister of Finance, Pravin Gordhan, who correctly advised Oakbay Investments to seek relief in the courts,” he said.
The DA shadow minister accused Zwane of being a “hired gun”, acting in the interests of the Guptas, rather than in the public interest.
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