Fugitive Ajay Gupta threatened to kill former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas if he revealed information about their meeting where he was offered the post of finance minister and a R600 million cash bribe, the commission of inquiry into state capture heard on Friday.
Jonas described the full details of the October 2015 meeting at the Gupta family's Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg. He said he had been requested by former president Jacob Zuma's son Duduzane to a meeting, without being given the details. Duduzane Zuma seemed nervous when he first met with him in Rosebank on October 27, 2015, said Jonas.
''He seemed nervous and was incoherent. He just said to me that his father likes me,'' Jonas said.
Duduzane then suggested the two go and talk somewhere private and the venue turned out to be the Gupta compound. Businessman Fana Hlongwane joined them first before Ajay Gupta later walked into the room.
''He did not greet (me) and just started talking like a radio. He said the old man [Jacob Zuma] likes me," Jonas told the inquiry.
"Duduzane and Hlongwane remained quiet as if they did not exist. Mr Gupta told me they have intelligence on me, and that I work with Gwede Mantashe [then secretary general of the ruling ANC party] and Zweli Mkhize [former ANC treasurer] and that was not good because they were not good...they were bad guys."
"He said they called me to that meeting to check me out since the old man likes me so much," Jonas added.
Gupta then told him that Nhlanhla Nene would be fired as finance minister and Jonas would get the post if he agreed. Gupta offered him R600 million to ''stash away in any account'' or bank in Dubai. Jonas said he was offered a pre-payment of R600,000 on the spot by Gupta as he stood up to leave for a flight to Cape Town, but said he did not want the money.
As he walked out, Gupta followed, asking him: "'Do you know who you are dealing with? You think this is illegal? It is legal...look at the moment, we make R6 billion from state companies, we want to grow it to R8 billion. Treasury is a stumbling block to our growth.''
Ajay boasted that the Gupta family worked with former Eskom boss Brian Molefe and former public enterprises minister Lynne Brown and had made both ''very rich.''
He then allegedly threatened Jonas against reporting the meeting.
''This meeting did not happen hey...you say anything to anyone if you suggest (this) meeting occurred, we will kill you,'' Gupta allegedly told Jonas.
The former deputy finance minister said he was shaken by the meeting and decided to confide in people he trusted, including now Public Enterprises minister Pravin Gordhan and Nene, who was fired as finance minister in December 2015 but has since been rehired by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Jonas told the commission on Friday that he was informed at the Gupta meeting that he would get a full staff complement to replace the then top team at the National Treasury, including a new director general, deputy minister, chief of staff and chief of procurement. Ajay Gupta described the director general and chief of staff at the time as ''poor and useless.''
- African News Agency (ANA)
