Guptas’ web ‘entrapped’ ex-minister

Brian Sokutu

When late Rivonia Treason trialist Ahmed Kathrada received an invitation from the Indian High Commission to travel to Mumbai to address students on Nelson Mandela’s legacy, accompanied by his partner, former public enterprises minister Barbara Hogan, little did they know the sponsored trip had Gupta links.

Testifying before the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, Hogan said the trip was after she had left government in 2010. She said he did not know who paid for the trip “but I was under the impression it was paid for by the Indian High Commission”.

Hogan added: “Six months ago, I got the shock of my life when a journalist asked me about a trip I undertook with Ahmed Kathrada sponsored by the Guptas. Kathrada, whom I accompanied, was invited by the High Commission in India – part of the International Ghandi Peace Centre, Kathrada Foundation and the United Nations – to address schools and universities on the Mandela legacy.

“The Indian High Commission said they were organising the trip. The name of the company that assisted with the trip was not mentioned and the tickets were e-mailed to us. We did not question anything further on travel arrangements.”

Hogan was concerned that they were to fly Jet Airways from Johannesburg to Mumbai. She said: “I said ‘oh my God we have been captured on flight’. It also transpired the e-mail we received came from Ashu Chawla at Sahara (a Gupta-owned company).

“We did not know who this Ashu Chawla was who was involved in our travel arrangements and copied in e-mails. I was worried people would try to compromise Kathrada with Jet Airways flying us to Mumbai. I still do not know who paid for the trip.”

Chawla is the alleged mastermind behind the Gupta infiltration. He has fled the country.

Hogan said in 2004, former minister in the presidency Essop Pahad invited her and Kathrada to a lunch at which the Guptas were present, but she had no discussions with them.

Jet Airways chairperson Naresh Goyal tried to meet Hogan during her official visit to India in 2010 to lobby the South African government to cancel the Mumbai-Johannesburg air route, which later happened during her successor Malusi Gigaba’s tenure.

We didn’t know who this Ashu Chawla was who was involved in our travel arrangements.