Johannesburg - Former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas is set to face cross-examination at the Zondo commission this morning.
Jonas will be cross-examined by the legal representatives of Duduzane Zuma and Fana Hlongwane.
He is also expected to conclude his testimony. Jonas appeared at the inquiry last year and told the commission about his encounter with one of the Gupta brothers. He also implicated Hlongwane and Zuma.
Jonas said he was invited by Zuma to a meeting but was later told that other people had to join the meeting. He was driven to the Gupta compound in Saxonwold where to his surprise Hlongwane was also present.
A Gupta brother walked in, which he believes was Ajay Gupta, and did not introduce himself.
Jonas said Zuma and Hlongwane did not speak during the meeting and the only person who spoke was Gupta.
The former deputy minister said Gupta told him that former president Jacob Zuma was planning to fire then finance minister Nhlanhla Nene and that he wanted to appoint him to take over the job. Gupta said the family planned to make money and that the Treasury was stumbling block.
Gupta told him he had to fire a number of people at Treasury once he was appointed.
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“He said that at the moment, we, which I understood again to be the Gupta family, earn about R6 billion from the fiscus through various entities including Eskom, Transnet, and government departments. He said that they wanted to increase this amount to R6 billion. Mr Gupta said that they had determined that the National Treasury was the stumbling block for their growth and that they wanted to clean up Treasury,” said Jonas.
Jonas was offered R600 million and was offered an immediate R600 000 cash payment.
He refused the bribe and Ajay was visibly upset by his refusal.
"As I was walking to the door of the house, Mr Gupta directed me to the bar area and said that they were serious about offering me R600 million that it would be deposited into an account of my choice and that they could open an account for me and I could stash it in Dubai.''
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