Court hears of Gayadin’s comments
A FORMER SABC editor testified in the Durban Magistrate’s Court yesterday that millionaire businessman, Sunny Gayadin, had told him that a senior LotusFM news staffer was “corrupt” and “on someone else’s payroll”.
Thabo Mofokeng, now the spokesman for the eThekwini Municipality, was the acting regional editor and immediate line manager of LotusFM bulletin editor, Gary Govindsamy, when the comments were allegedly made by Gayadin in December 2009.
Govindsamy is suing Gayadin for R100 000 for defamation after the businessman had allegedly launched into a verbal tirade after Govindsamy chose not to broadcast a story about a court order Gayadin had brought against a Bollywood singer, known only as Shaan.
The court heard that in a heated telephone conversation, Gayadin allegedly made disparaging remarks about Govindsamy’s mother and accused him of accepting bribes.
Mofokeng told the court yesterday that on December 4, 2009, Gayadin had called him and introduced himself as an organiser of shows and concerts.
“He said he had a dispute with a Bollywood artist and would have the artist arrested. He said he called Govindsamy because he wanted coverage of the arrest, but also wanted to broadcast that the shows would be cancelled,” Mofokeng said.
He testified that when Gayadin told him that Govindsamy had refused to broadcast the story, he told him he would contact Govindsamy and ask for an explanation.
“Gary explained that there was no proof that the artist had been ar- rested and that it would be unethical to broadcast that he was. I was satisfied with the explanation,” Mofokeng said.
He said he received a second call from Gayadin, who sounded upset.
“He told me that he knew Gary was a corrupt journalist and that he was on someone else’s payroll.”
Mofokeng said he took these allegations very seriously and assured Gayadin that he would investigate the claims. “I asked Gayadin to put the allegations in writing, but he never did.”
Mofokeng said he had heard from Govindsamy that Gayadin had sworn at him and called him names. “Some of the things he said can’t be said in public.”
Mofokeng said he and Govindsamy submitted a report of the incident to his superiors at the SABC head office in Johannesburg.
Gayadin’s lawyer, Narend Sangham, said that Gayadin would deny saying Govindsamy was on “someone’s payroll” or that he was being bribed.
The case is expected to resume in October.