LISTEN: Atul Gupta says he’s a proudly South African, ethical businessman

Atul Gupta says he does not know why his family name is being “dragged” through the mud in the media over allegations of state capture when he is an ethical businessman who is a living example of financial liberation.

“We don’t know why our name is being dragged in all these things without any reason why we would be doing that. When they targeting politically they are running their own agenda, so what is a normal business family [like us] to do?” he asked in his latest interview with BBC Radio 4 broadcast on Thursday.

Gupta denied his family – close friends of President Jacob Zuma and business partners to his son, Duduzane – had captured some senior politicians and officials of state-owned entities to unduly benefit their business empire.

He said he was “proudly South African” and blamed “monopoly capital” that was “affecting their oligarchy in this country” for the public backlash against his family.

“I want to stay in South Africa forever. I love this country. I’m proudly South African, and I respect all my fellow South Africans. I am really a living example of financial liberation, and I am playing my part, and I’m doing a very ethical job,” Gupta said.

Asked why his family had not taken any legal action to protect its name in the face of corruption and state capture allegations, he labelled the large cache of damning leaked Gupta emails as “gossip newsletters” his family would rather not entertain.

“When you stay a little more in SA you will understand how SA senior legal counsel works, and I have to run my active business with seven and half thousands employees who are, hopefully, looking at my family to give them every month a salary.

“I look after my business or I go for this gossip newsletters, what I should do please?” he asked.

Gupta also said he was “happy” to cooperate in any credible probe into state capture and provide authentic information.

Listen to the full interview below:

https://soundcloud.com/biznews-com/must-listen-bbc-journalist-turns-up-state-capture-heat-on-atul-gupta

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