Gupta-owned Sahara CEO Stephan Nel on Tuesday opened a case of intimidation after an anonymous person allegedly phoned to warn him against approaching Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan for assistance regarding Oakbay\u2019s blacklisted bank accounts.<\/p>\n
The phone call at 12:30 on Monday followed a radio show “ambush” by Nel and three other Oakbay executives, where they phoned in to Power FM on Sunday at 22:00 to ask Gordhan to help them find a solution to their banking crisis, which could affect 7 500 employees.<\/p>\n
Oakbay said a charge of intimidation was filed at Midrand Police Station and a case number was logged as 842\/06\/2016.<\/p>\n
An officer at Midrand Police Station told Fin24 via phone that the case number would only be confirmed once it was logged into the system on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe call, which was placed directly to Mr Nel\u2019s office number, aggressively warned against any further appeals to Mr Gordhan regarding the reopening of Oakbay\u2019s bank accounts,\u201d Oakbay Investments said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Oakbay, which is owned by the Guptas, owns companies like Sahara, The New Age, ANN7 and Optimum coal mine.<\/p>\n
In his response on radio, Gordhan said he had met representatives of Oakbay over the banking issue and said: \u201cWhere Treasury can assist, it will go out of its way to do so. We will not stand still. But we require the right kind of approaches on these kinds of matters that will find constructive solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the fourth executive phoned in after he had given his answer, Gordhan replied: \u201cI have indicated that a channel that existed will be activated. There are options that are not being undertaken (that can be looked at).\u201d<\/p>\n
Oakbay said on Tuesday that \u201cdespite being appalled at the lack of progress and momentum, Oakbay was relieved to hear Mr. Gordhan reassure the company that channels which exist will be activated and options that are not currently being undertaken, will be looked at\u201d.<\/p>\n
Nel writes to Gordhan<\/strong><\/p>\n Oakbay also sent Fin24 a letter Nel wrote to Gordhan on Tuesday, requesting a meeting over Sahara\u2019s closed bank accounts.<\/p>\n He reminded Gordhan how he had to retrench 140 employees in April due to the business bank accounts being shut down by FNB, Absa, Standard Bank and Nedbank.<\/p>\n \u201cI can confirm that vital banking services have still not been restored neither to us (Sahara), nor for that matter other businesses across the Oakbay group, despite the decision by our shareholders (the Guptas) to step away from the day-to-day involvement in our business.\u201d<\/p>\n The Guptas and President Jacob Zuma\u2019s son Duduzane all resigned from their executive positions in April.<\/p>\n Nel told Gordhan that he will be forced to make further strategic decisions that will result in more job losses.<\/p>\n \u201cThe decisions I will be forced to make over the coming weeks will not only affect the livelihoods of the remaining 103 employees at Sahara, but their families and dependents too,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Regarding the Power FM “ambush”, Nel told Gordhan that the \u201cengagement\u201d was \u201cmisconstrued in some quarters\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI would like to assure you the calls related to the extremely difficult position we find ourselves in following the banking blacklisting crisis at Oakbay,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n He also asked the minister to \u201cpublicly condemn acts of intimidation\u201d following the alleged phone call intimidating Nel.<\/p>\n Responding to Gordhan\u2019s statement that he serves 55 million South Africans in their efforts to have decent work in a stable economic environment, Nel said he can start with saving the jobs at Oakbay.<\/p>\n \u201cI humbly plead that you find some way to help us make a small start with our own employees, and I, therefore, request that you meet with me, at your earliest convenience,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n Fin24 had not received comment from Treasury regarding the letter before publication.<\/p>\n Fin24<\/a><\/p>\n Gupta company bosses gang up on Gordhan live on radio<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Gupta-owned Oakbay responds to claims it\u2019s buying a bank<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n \u2018I have never seen Jonas in my life\u2019: Ajay Gupta<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\nMore on Oakbay<\/h3>\n