Nene denies all allegations levelled against him by EFF

Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene has denied all allegations levelled against him by the Economic Freedom Fighters regarding his supposed links to the Guptas.

He also questioned the timing of their campaign against him, coming as it did just days before his appearance before the commission of inquiry into state capture on Wednesday.

Nene said these allegations included that as deputy minister of finance Nene had facilitated the Guptas’ access to the Public Investment Corporation (PIC), and that during this period, between 2009 and 2014, he was approached by various individuals and companies seeking assistance in securing financing from the corporation.

“In all instances, these individuals and companies were informed that they should approach the PIC directly,” Nene told the commission.

Nene explained to the commission that during his tenure as deputy minister of finance he had served as the chair of the PIC as he was appointed by Cabinet as a non-executive director and chair of the board of the corporation. His role, however, excluded him from decision making except for specific transactions that would need the board’s approval.

Nene responded in the negative to a question of whether he recalled approving a transaction while chair of the PIC related to the Guptas or any Gupta-linked entity.

He denied acting inappropriately with regards to any investments made by the PIC and repudiated all allegations that he had knowingly sought to promote any funding from the corporation to his son.

The allegation – which Nene said was repeated by the EFF – was that the minister’s son’s oil company had benefited from the PIC during his chairpersonship of the corporation.

He added that the PIC was investigating this allegation, which the minister dismissed as baseless.

Nene further labelled as “fake” a WhatsApp message that alleges that his wife had received foreign funds into her offshore account.

“I again reject this with the contempt that it deserves,” Nene said.

The minister said his wife did not have any foreign account and had not received any funds from any foreign sources.

Nene questioned the timing of the EFF’s allegations made a few days before testifying before the commission, saying he found it interesting and strange, and he further questioned the manner in which the allegations had been raised through social media rather than through proper structures.

He further denied the EFF’s allegation that he had refused to respond to the party’s letter dated 22 May 2018 questioning the minister about meeting the Guptas and discussing their business dealings.

The minister referred to a letter dated 12 June 2018 signed by him which he said was a response to the EFF and that in that letter he confirmed that he had met members of the Gupta family at various government functions.

The EFF’s second in command, Floyd Shivambu, had written another letter to Nene dated 14 September 2018 in which Shivambu insinuated again that as deputy minister of finance Nene had met with the Gupta family to discuss business dealings, in particular in relation to PIC funding.

Nene said Shivambu had further insinuated that he had been contacted by the Gupta family as finance minister to secure promises the minister made to the Guptas during his tenure as deputy minister of finance.

“I am yet to respond to the subsequent questions raised by Mr Shivambu. However, I wish to confirm that other than what I’ve indicated above, I’ve never had any meetings with them to discuss their business funding from the PIC when I was deputy minister of finance or when I was minister of finance,” Nene said.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.