‘We’ll arrest you’
PARLIAMENT: PATIENCE RUNS OUT WITH GUPTAS, MYENI AND JZ’S SON ‘Frustrated’ committee wants action if they don’t pitch for state capture questions.
Ajay and Atul Gupta, former SAA board chair Dudu Myeni and Duduzane Zuma could face jail if they ignore summonses to appear before an inquiry into state capture at state-owned enterprises.
Parliament’s portfolio committee on public enterprises, which is investigating state capture at state-owned entities (SOEs), will no longer stand for the no-show of two Gupta brothers, former SAA board chair Dudu Myeni and former president Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane.
They will now be summonsed and should they still refuse to testify about their alleged roles in state capture, warrants of arrest will be issued.
The committee, tasked with an inquiry into the mismanagement of state funds at SOEs, including Eskom, met yesterday to discuss a way forward on the five ignoring them.
Trying to finalise its report by May with a final draft to be tabled in parliament, the absence of the Guptas, Myeni and Zuma frustrates the committee, chair Zukiswa Rantho said.
“We thought they would be the last people that we would see and after that we would wrap up our work.”
Myeni, through WhatsApp messages, previously attributed her failure to appear to illness.
Rantho said she has since received no communication from Myeni.
It is widely reported that Ajay and Atul Gupta are in Dubai with Duduzane Zuma.
Summonses would, however, be issued to their SA residences: the Guptas’ and Zuma’s in Saxonwold, Johannesburg; and Myeni’s Richards Bay home in Kwa-Zulu-Natal.
“It is a legal process. The summonses will be served at their residential addresses. If nobody is there, we will take the legal route on what to do,” Rantho said.
Committee member Natasha Mazzone, a DA MP, said a high court would be approached to force Zuma, the Guptas and Myeni to appear.
“They have used every trick in the book to evade accountability,” she said.
“Myeni has also frustrated attempts and efforts to serve her with a summons by refusing to reveal her residential address.
“However, the committee has the ID numbers of both Myeni and Duduzane Zuma and will now proceed to inform the courts that both are registered to vote and their residential addresses can, therefore, be requested from the Independent Electoral Commission,” Mazzone said.
“Myeni is registered to vote at the AGS Lewende Waters in Richards Bay and Zuma is registered to vote at the Saxonwold Primary School in Johannesburg.”
The Gupta brothers, Myeni and Zuma are scheduled to testify before the committee on April 11.
“Should they fail to show up, the committee will push for warrants of arrest to be issued.”