Probe claims Gupta-linked ‘Essa paid for Dubai trip’
FORMER Eskom head of generation Matshela Koko has asked the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture to probe allegations that Gupta-linked businessman Salim Essa paid R100 000 for his trip to Dubai in January 2016.
Koko made the appeal after an affidavit from a travel agent, Lima Alana, was read out in court.
In her affidavit, Alana claimed that Essa paid R100 000 in cash to her travel agency for travel arrangements for Koko, his wife and son.
According to Koko, the affidavit was a fabrication.
“I am very happy for this affidavit. It exposes the falsehoods. I hope the commission’s investigators will look at this affidavit and get to the bottom of it.
“This affidavit was deposed to the police in 2018 and nothing came of it,” Koko said.
He was adamant that he used his own money for his travel to Indonesia in December 2015 and a trip to Dubai in January 2016.
“I paid R332 394 for my trip and five family members. I don’t know Lima Alana. I never used her travel agency. I’ve never met them. I never spoke to them. I don’t know this company,” Koko insisted.
He said his family used Thompson Travel for his trips but the agency was unable to provide them with details of their travel itinerary.
“My wife contacted the travel agency to get the travel details. My wife Kgomotso spoke to Johan Jacobs about getting those details. Later on she got information that the travel agency did not have details of the trips undertaken more than three years ago. They could not give me copies of the invoices.
“Your investigators can do better,” Koko said.
Commission chairperson Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo agreed to the request and ordered the investigators to probe the authenticity of the information about the use of the travel agencies.
Evidence leader Pule Seleka led this evidence in a bid to prove to the commission that Koko had a long-standing relationship with Essa.
Earlier, the commission led evidence that Koko was in communication with Essa through various emails, including giving him information about the R1.68 billion guarantee to Tegeta to allegedly allow it to purchase Optimum Coal Mine.