‘Gupta whistleblower was correct’
Trillian paid over R250m for doing no work at Eskom
Advocate Geoff Budlender yesterday released his report into allegations of state capture stemming from a whistleblower at Gupta-linked company Trillian Capital Partners (TCP).
The majority shareholder is close Gupta family ally Salim Essa‚ who owns 60% of Trillian.
Trillian’s non executive independent chairman Tokyo Sexwale briefed the media and confirmed his earlier intention to step down from the company as soon as Budlender tabled his report.
Here are some of the key findings you should know: The whistleblower was right
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Budlender found that in his view‚ the version of events supplied by the former Trillian CEOturned-whistleblower was true.
He said it raises the “very troubling question” as to how information about how President Jacob Zuma was going to exercise his constitutional prerogative came to be in the hands of a private company.
The whistleblower told former public protector Thuli Madonsela that she was told by Trillian CEO Eric Wood two months before former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene was fired in December 2015 that Zuma would do so.
Did Minister Lynne Brown
● lie to parliament?
In a reply to parliamentary questions from the DA‚ Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown said no money was paid to TCP for the Duva power plant insurance claim.
She said Eskom did not appoint TCP to negotiate the settlement for the Duva claim, nor did Eskom appoint TCP to source a new supplier to replace the exploded boiler at the power plant.
Budlender said in his report that Trillian produced three invoices addressed to Eskom‚ all of which were stamped and paid. One was for R30.6-million from Trillian Management Capital‚ a 100% subsidiary of Trillian Capital Holdings.
Two other invoices were for R122.2-million and R113.2-million.
“The information Brown gave to parliament was‚ depending [on] the view you take of it‚ false or seriously misleading‚” Budle nder wrote. No tenders‚ no contracts but
● lots of money
Budlender found that Trillian never tendered for work it was paid for and no contract exists between Trillian and Eskom – but the company was paid more than R250-million.
Budlender also states that Trillian refused to provide him with information on what work it had done for Eskom.
He also notes that it appears virtually all of the work Trillian invoiced for was actually done by Regiments Capital.
Trillian management tried to ● obstruct the investigation
Budlender has slammed the management of Trillian Capital Partners, who he says “obstructed” his investigation.
Trillian management‚ he said‚ tried to put an end to the inquiry twice.
Trillian disputing Gupta link
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“dishonest”
“The connections between Mr Essa [Trillian’s majority shareholder] and the Guptas must be known to the leadership of Trillian‚ as it is known to anyone ... who reads a newspaper‚” Budlender wrote.
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‘ ‘ Information was false or seriously misleading
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