Court shoots down Zuma’s bid to join Gupta vs Gordhan battle
The High Court has denied president Jacob Zuma’s late application to join the ongoing case between finance minister Pravin Gordhan and Gupta-owned companies as an interested party.
Zuma applied to be an “interested party” in the case on the basis of an application by Standard Bank, in which the group asked for a judgement that no member of cabinet or the executive could interfere with banker-client relations.
According to the president, Standard Bank’s application was effectively an invitation for him to join proceedings, as the court could possibly make a ruling that directly impacted him.
However, the court disagreed, saying that the president was not formally a part of the process, so he could not be granted a role as an interested party.
After having his request denied, Zuma’s lawyer said he could possibly remain in court as an observer.
The parties are in court on Tuesday (28 March) to argue their cases. The Gupta companies are arguing for Gordhan’s case to be dismissed entirely, and for the finance minister to pay costs, personally.
Late 2016, finance minister Pravin Gordhan launched court proceedings against Gupta-owned companies, seeking an order against executive interference in their banker-client relations.
The Gupta companies – Oakbay, Sahara and VR Laser – had their bank accounts closed after all major SA banks identified suspicious transactions, and noted widely-reported concerns over the companies’ proximity to government.
As a result, the Guptas appealed to minister Gordhan and other government officials to intervene.
Reports pointed to immense political pressure for the minister to comply – and he was even appointed by Zuma to a special ministerial body, which included mining minister Mosebenzi Zwane and public enterprises minister Lynne Brown, to investigate the banks.
Gordhan said that National Treasury cannot intervene, and provided evidence to the court – highlighting ‘suspicious’ transactions made by the Gupta companies, totaling over R6 billion – to back up his position.
What followed were several back-and-forth affidavits between Gordhan and the Gupta companies, where the latter group accused the finance minister of playing a political game, and of corruption.
The list of transactions has proved to be the main point of contention, with Gupta lawyers arguing that the transactions have no relevance to Gordhan’s case, and should be struck off.
Read: Zuma set to sack Gordhan as rand continues to fall: report
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