Gupta links part of campaign to discredit me, claims Mkhwebane
Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane has rejected allegation
by Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), that she was
"flagged" by an international banking institution, HSBC, as having
financial links to the Gupta family.
According to the report, the bank flagged a payment worth over US$5,000 into Mkhwebane's account at First National Bank in South Africa in June 2014.
Ramaphosa, Mkhwebane legal battle moved to Thursday
Ramaphosa does not want to discipline Gordhan in the Ivan Pillay pension payout saga, pending his review of the report. Public Protector spokesperson Oupa Segalwe says the matter will only be heard later this week. He adds that the delay will not in any way impact the merits of the case.
According to the report, the alleged payment took place during the height of the Gupta family's alleged influence over former president Jacob Zuma's government.
"The money was sent from an account at HSBC's subsidiary in Hong Kong. First National Bank declined to comment citing client confidentiality.
"The flag on Mkhwebane's transaction was part of a highly restricted internal HSBC investigation that sought to identify a network of Gupta-linked accounts and companies around the world. The network's key accounts and companies were located in Hong Kong, a tax haven that has been known for providing financial secrecy for foreign clients," OCCRP says in the report.
Mkhwebane’s spokesperson Oupa Segalwe says she was only made aware of this information last week when OCCRP put questions to her.
"This bank that is alleged to have flagged her has never brought this to her attention and she has no links to the Guptas.”
He adds when OCCRP forwarded a set of questions to Mkhwebane it admitted there is no indication that she received money from the Gupta family.
Segalwe says it comes as a surprise to the public protector that in the final report, such allegations are made against her.
"She sees all this part and parcel, of an orchestrated campaign and concerted efforts in the political circles, civil society and in the media to discredit her merely because she has been able to master enough carriage to hold those seen as untouchable to account."
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