Mcebisi Jonas was allegedly threatened by Ajay Gupta after he declined to take fired finance minister Nhlanhla Nene’s job in return for R600 million, Times Select has reported.
The former deputy finance minister claims that the businessman threatened to kill him if he ever went public with details of the job offer and bribe.
Jonas is expected to shed light on these allegations at the commission of inquiry into state capture today.
In 2016, Jonas released a statement alleging that the Guptas had offered him money to replace Sifiso Nene as finance minister after Nene was fired in a what was a widely considered a controversial decision by ex-president Jacob Zuma in 2015.
READ MORE: State capture whistleblower Mcebisi Jonas to take the stand
“Members of the Gupta family offered me the position of Minister of Finance to replace then-Minister Nene,” he said at the time.
“I rejected this out of hand. The basis of my rejection of their offer is that it makes a mockery of our hard earned democracy, the trust of our people and no one apart from the President of the Republic can appoint ministers.”
Jonas further alleged that he was offered R600 million if he accepted the position and R600 000 paid in cash on the spot.
Jonas claims to have met with Duduzane as well as businessman Fana Hlongwane and the eldest of the Gupta brothers, Ajay.
Whether Hlongwane will appear before the commission is unclear. His legal representatives have said that he is considering it.
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