Bribe claims effort to smear journo: Sunday Times editor

THE Sunday Times has called on suspended Eskom acting chief executive Matshela Koko to provide proof after his legal representatives circulated a document claiming journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika received a bag full of money.

An affidavit containing the allegations was handed to journalists at Koko’s disciplinary hearing shortly after Koko threatened to sue the Tiso Blackstar group over its reporting on alleged wrongdoing at Eskom.

Koko was suspended earlier this year and is facing six charges of misconduct relating mainly to his failure to declare a conflict of interest concerning contracts worth about R1-billion which were awarded to Impulse International – a company of which his stepdaughter‚ Koketso Choma‚ was a director and shareholder.

The Sunday Times revealed the conflict of interest.

The affidavit contains vague accusations that Wa Afrika was handed a bag containing an undisclosed amount of money in Sandton.

The bag was allegedly sent by an Eskom executive via his bodyguard.

The document also contains allegations that bags of money were handed to other people.

However, these allegations have not been tested.

A TimesLIVE reporter at Koko’s hearing confirmed the document was not submitted to the hearing.

Koko is expected to testify in his disciplinary proceedings tomorrow.

The Sunday Times denies the allegations and stands by Wa Afrika.

“These allegations should be seen for what they are – an effort to smear the journalist who exposed Matshela Koko for lavishing contracts on the company owned by his stepdaughter,” Sunday Times editor Bongani Siqoko said. “The same journalist broke the story of Brian Molefe’s R30-million payout from Eskom.

“We are not surprised that Mzilikazi wa Afrika would become a target for a smear campaign – there have been efforts to derail his reporting on the malfeasance at Eskom since March.

“When he first made inquiries about the contracts to Impulse International‚ Koko’s stepdaughter’s company‚ the reporter said [Koko] had offered him a bag of money – which he refused.

“The day before publication of the story‚ he told his editors that Impulse International’s chief executive, Pragasen Pather‚ wrote R500 000 on a piece of paper and told him: ‘This now‚ and the same again on Monday.’ Again he refused.

“It was after these efforts failed that Mzilikazi was told he was being followed and his life was under threat.

“The Sunday Times published a story about that and hired protection for him.

Mzilikazi wa Afrika has denied the allegations

“After these efforts to throw Mzilikazi off the scent were thwarted‚ the next step is to try to discredit him through this affidavit.

“Mzilikazi wa Afrika has denied the allegations.”

Siqoko said Wa Afrika had told him: “I don’t know the incident this man is describing. I never met anyone at that place . . . No one has ever given me a bribe.

“As a matter of fact, I refused a bag of money from Koko in the middle of the night. Why would I accept a bag of money in daylight?

“I also refused a bribe from Pragasen Panther.”

Siqoko said: “In the absence of any credible information to the contrary‚ the Sunday Times stands by its reporter.

“If anyone has evidence of any payments they should come forward.

“Koko himself has never raised these issues with the Sunday Times.” – TimesLIVE