‘Dudu Myeni instructed me to transfer money to the Jacob Zuma Foundation’ – Mr X
The state capture inquiry heard that the money had been paid by Myeni's son's company to Mr X's business account though the latter had no dealings with that company.
Dudu Myeni. Picture: ANA
Former SAA board chair Dudu Myeni allegedly instructed an in-camera witness at the commission of inquiry into state capture to transfer R1 million into the bank account of the Jacob Zuma Foundation.
Myeni is the chairperson of the former president’s foundation.
The commission’s chair, Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo heard on Tuesday that a company in which Myeni’s son is a partner, Premier Attraction 1016 CC, made three payments to the witness’ business account.
The witness, being referred to Mr X, is testifying in-camera and told the commission that one of these payments was done on 11 December 2015 and amounted to R1,150,000.
Mr X said he then was contacted by Myeni who gave him banking details where the money should be transferred.
The account number, the commission heard, turned out to be that of the Jacob Zuma Foundation.
Another amount of R1 million was paid by Premier Attraction 1016 CC on 2 February 2015 and Myeni then instructed Mr X to pay R800,000 to the Jacob Zuma Foundation. The amount was paid out on 4 February with the reference JGZF.
Ahead of the lunch break on Tuesday, Mr X told the commission that Myeni had asked him to give her in cash, money that her son’s company, Premier Attraction 116 CC, had paid into the witness’ business account.
The witness fears for his life and applied to testify in-camera from an undisclosed location.
The commission heard that Premier Attraction 1016 CC, the company Myeni’s son is a partner in, paid three amounts into Mr X’s business account for his construction company named Isibonelo Construction.
Myeni’s son, Thalente, told the commission on Monday that he does not recall what the payments were for.
R1 million was paid from Premier Attraction 1016 CC to Isibonelo on 24 October 2015, R1,150,000 on 11 December 2015 and another R1 million rand was paid on 2 February 2016.
Mr X told the commission that at the time these payments were made, with the reference PA1016, he did not know what the reference stood for and neither did he have any business dealings with Thalente Myeni or his entity.
He said it was only the commission’s investigators who made him aware that the payments had come from Premier Attraction 1016 CC and that Thalente Myeni was a partner in this company.
He told the commission that he’d known Thalente Myeni since he was a child.
The witness on Monday told the commission that he and Myeni senior had had a very close friendship which made them treat each other and their families as relatives.
On Tuesday, Mr X told the commission that he had first met Myeni senior around 1997 and 1998 when the two were part of a programme to groom small business owners.
He said Myeni subcontracted him at the time and that she would make payments into his business accounts for whatever work he did for her.
Mr X told the commission that after the first payment was made in October 2015 from Premier Attraction 1016 CC, Myeni senior requested him to withdraw some funds and deliver the money to her.
He said it was once or twice that he had physically handed over the cash to Myeni because she was busy, explaining that most of the time he hid the money in her home office.
On 27 October 2015, Mr X withdrew R50,000 in compliance with Myeni senior’s instruction and that money ended up with Myeni, Mr X said, explaining that he could not recall whether he had hidden the money in her home office or had handed it over to her personally.
On 28 October 2015, Mr X withdrew an amount of R31,500 following Myeni’s instruction.
On 29 October 2015, Mr X withdrew R200,000 for Myeni senior, while R27,000 was withdrawn on 3 November 2015.
Mr X told the commission that Myeni had not given an explanation about where the money came from and what she needed to use it for.
He further said he had not been told that Premier Attraction 1016 CC would pay money into his business account.
He said about two days after the first payment on 24 October 2015 he was contacted by Myeni senior, which is how he then knew that the R1 million was meant for her.
Mr X’s testimony continues, watch live courtesy of the SABC:
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