Evidence points to Brown’s PA, Gupta link

Family paid for hotel bill in Dubai

Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown’s personal assistant is at the centre of a mysterious R32 000 Dubai hotel bill and a chauffeured drive to the Gupta family’s luxury home in the United Arab Emirates city.

TimesLive has discovered details of the trip in the leaked Gupta e-mails. Brown’s PA Kim Davids yesterday confirmed she had been in Dubai in the period indicated in the e-mails‚ but insisted she had paid her own way.

She could not explain why a detailed invoice bearing her name had been sent to the Guptas to settle or why they had been party to arranging a chauffer to ferry someone with her name to their luxury 10-bedroom villa “L35” situated at one of Dubai’s most sought-after addresses.

Invoices and documents show that in late December 2015 and early January 2016, Rajesh Gupta and the family’s lieutenants were discussing the payment of a Kim Davids’ stay at the five-star Oberoi Hotel. The hotel has become infamous for being the go-to place to holiday for the Guptas’ guests‚ including a gaggle of South African cabinet ministers.

Department spokesman Colin Cruywagen told TimesLive that Davids was on leave in December 2015 and had complied with regulations regarding her leave.

Davids said there was nothing untoward about her trip. “In December 2015 I took leave and booked a holiday with my fiancé in Portugal. On the way‚ in transit in Dubai‚ I fell ill‚ when I learned I was pregnant.

“We returned home‚ paying our own costs. I reject with contempt those unfounded allegations that cast doubt on my integrity.”

She did not produce proof of her defence when asked to by TimesLive.

E-mails show that Davids‚ or at least someone pretending to be her‚ stayed in the Oberoi for four days from December 27 to December 31. A bill of R32 269.25 for a Davids‚ who stayed in Room 9034‚ was made out to Sahara Computer’s Sanjay Grover.

Further correspondence relates to the trip to the Gupta home with one of the Gupta family lieutenants (Ashu) Chawla telling the hotel’s concierge: “... As discussed can you please send me the driver details who will be taking Ms Kim Davids to L35 Emirates Hills tomorrow At 9h30...”