Gordhan on the back foot as Gupta case enters second day
Embattled Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan is in a substantially weaker position heading into the second day of his court battle against the controversial Gupta family, after the presiding judge scrapped a key document.
During proceedings on Tuesday (28 March) Judge Mlambo ordered that references made in Gordhan’s papers to 72 suspicious transactions involving the Gupta family and their companies be struck from his court papers.
The transactions would have allowed Gordhan to introduce a certificate issued by the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) in advancing their main application, as the certificate highlighted the various flagged transactions made by the Gupta family and companies associated to them.
While Gordhan scored a point when the court ordered that certain portions in Oakbay’s affidavit suggesting a “political conspiracy theory”, this decision to strike out Gordhan’s documents has effectively taken the sting out of Gordhan’s application, noted legal experts.
Gordhan’s battle with the Gupta family was sidelined yesterday amid rumours that he had been recalled from an international investment roadshow as part of a cabinet reshuffle.
While Gordhan had confirmed that he was still finance minister upon leaving Luthuli house on Tuesday, reports by the EFF’s Julius Malema and other sources close to the issue noted that the reshuffle was still likely to take place after the funeral of struggle-stalwart Amhed Kathrada on Wednesday, 29 March.
Read: Gordhan will be removed after Kathrada funeral – Malema
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