Charged for Gupta links

The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) laid criminal charges against the local units of audit firm KPMG, management consultants McKinsey & Co and software giant SAP.

The cases were opened with the police between November and December for contraventions of the Companies Act, the regulator’s spokesperson, Tshiamo Zebediela, said yesterday.

The CIPC “has been looking into these companies since July 2017”, she said.

The CIPC is one of the first local regulators to bring criminal complaints against the companies for their dealings with entities linked to the Gupta family. President Jacob Zuma and the Guptas have consistently denied any wrongdoing.

The regulator pushed ahead with criminal charges following the leaking of a trove of e-mails last year indicating how the Guptas used their relationships with government ministers and officials to profit from state business.

“The CIPC engaged with the respective boards of directors regarding the e-mails that were placed in the public domain,” Zebediela said, “and based on the responses received, took a decision to open criminal cases”. – Bloomberg

The CIPC has been looking into these companies since July 2017.

Tshiamo Zebediela CIPC spokesperson