EFF charges ‘baseless’

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY: FINANCE MINISTER PROTESTS INNOCENCE

Nene admits to ‘above board’ meetings with Guptas.

Despite being branded by the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) as “corrupt” and “captured” for having held meetings with the infamous Gupta family, Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene yesterday told the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture that he neither facilitated government deals for the Guptas nor ensured any member of his family benefitted from the state.

The EFF this week released a statement on the eve of Nene’s appearance before the inquiry, calling on him to resign after giving testimony due to his past undisclosed meetings with the Guptas, while also alleging that his son’s oil company benefitted from Public Finance Corporation (PIC) funding.

Led by commission senior counsel Paul Pretorius during his testimony before Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, Nene did not shy away from revealing his many encounters with the Guptas, describing the EFF charges as “baseless”.

“I made my position clear on June 12, 2018, in response to a parliamentary question from (EFF) member of parliament, Mr Floyd Shivambu, who insinuated that I facilitated the Gupta access to the PIC during my tenure as deputy finance minister,” said Nene.

“I confirmed that I met some members of the Gupta family during government functions, especially the dinner hosted by the president, after the presentation of the State of the Nation address.

“On one occasion, I was invited to tour the Midrand offices of Sahara Computers. In my role as minister of finance and my previous position as deputy minister of finance, I have been approached by business, individuals and companies asking for my assistance in securing finance, specifically from the PIC.”

Nene also referred to a second set of questions from Shivambu, received on September 14 this year, again insinuating that he had had meetings with the Gupta family when he was deputy minister of finance, related to PIC funding for the Guptas. “I am yet to respond to subsequent questions by Mr Shivambu. I have never had any meetings with the Gupta family to discuss their business funding from the PIC when I was deputy minister or minister of finance,” he said.

Nene explained that by virtue of being deputy finance minister, he was appointed by Cabinet to become nonexecutive director of the PIC board and its chairperson – a position he held from 2009 to 2014.

“I was not involved in investment decision-making, except where a specific transaction would have to be approved by the board as per delegation of authority.”

He also denied allegations that he acted to promote PIC funding his son’s business, while rejecting claims on social media that his wife had received foreign funding through secret bank accounts.

I was not involved in investment decisionmaking.