Guptas ‘tipped off’ on inquiry into Madonsela spy claims – report

According to the latest #GuptaEmails, it is alleged that days before State Security Minister David Mahlobo announced an official inquiry into claims that former public protector Thuli Madonsela was a spy for the American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Atul Gupta knew such a probe was imminent.

The Times reported on Monday that the Gupta brother was sent an email containing a link to a blog known as Africa Intelligence Leaks, which the minister cited on February 25, 2015, to support his allegation.

The blog, which is still active, claimed that a CIA ID card with Madonsela’s picture on it existed, as well as various email accounts belonging to the former public protector, which were purportedly used as “proof” that she was working for the CIA.

At the time, Madonsela was prepared to challenge the allegations and investigations in court, which she believed would be used as a guise to tap phones at the public protector’s office or for President Jacob Zuma to suspend her while the investigation was under way.

Two years since the announcement of probe into Madonsela, the inquiry has yet to make any findings.

According to the Times report, the emails revealed the following:

• A “tip-off” was sent to the Gupta-owned New Age newspaper’s news desk on February 12, 2015, at 4.37pm.
• The email was reportedly titled “Is Thulisiwe Nomkhosi Madonsela an agent or a CIA employee?”, and contained text from, and a link to, Africa Intelligence Leaks.
• At 4.42pm, about five minutes later, the email was forwarded to Atul Gupta by an employee of The New Age, Haranath Ghosh.
• Atul then forwarded the email two hours later to Rajesh “Tony” Gupta and to Surya Singhala, Ajay Gupta’s son, at an email address at Gupta-owned company Sahara.

In response to the revelations in the leaked emails, Madonsela said she found it “shocking” that the blog link had been sent to the Guptas in the first place.

She said claims that she was a spy had surfaced even before Mahlobo made the announcement of the SSA investigation, saying the different stories of her being a spy were inconsistent with regards to how she was recruited, who her handlers were and the nature of her covert mission.

“I am shocked. I always knew the blog had been put out by the State Security Agency or somebody related to them,” she said.

Madonsela said she did not know why the Guptas were involved, but judging by the date of the emails, that would mean the controversial family gave the emails to the SSA or the same source did.

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