Ajay Gupta has denied ever meeting former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas in October 2015, and offering him a bribe and the job of finance minister, calling the claim an "intentional fabrication".
Gupta has been at the centre of state capture allegations with three witnesses, Jonas, former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor and former government spokesperson Themba Maseko, claiming that he had met with them.
In an affidavit submitted to the state capture inquiry, Gupta alleged that on October 23 — the day he was said to have met with Jonas — he was at Oakbay’s offices in Sandton.
He said Oakbay CEO Ronica Ragavan and other employees could confirm his alibi. Gupta said he had also handed over his cellphone records to former public protector Thuli Madonsela, when she was investigating allegations of state capture.
In 2016 Jonas made a public statement that he was offered a R600m bribe and the job of finance minister. He alleged that former president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane and controversial businessman Fana Hlongwane were present at the meeting. It was alleged that Duduzane arranged the meeting.
Jonas testified about the incident at the state capture inquiry that it was Gupta who had made him the offer. In addition, he threatened to kill Jonas if he disclosed the offer to anyone.
Gupta and his brother Rajesh applied to cross-examine Jonas at the inquiry but their application was dismissed by the commission chair, deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo.
The Gupta brothers are refusing to return to SA to testify before the commission for fear of being arrested.
The Hawks have issued a warrant of arrest for Ajay Gupta in connection with the allegations made by Jonas.
Duduzane Zuma has already made an appearance in the specialised commercial crimes court in the matter.
A written affidavit by Gupta, signed on September 2, was submitted to the commission and contains a stamp from the commissioner of oaths at the SA consulate-general in Dubai.
Gupta called into question Jonas’s recollections.
"It is also plain and indisputable that my identity was introduced to Mr Jonas by way of a leading question suggested to him and/or photos of me being shown to him, to enable him to conclude that he in fact met with me specifically and not with anybody else, whereafter he accepted and claimed that he in fact did have a meeting with me," Gupta wrote.
He said in Jonas’s latest statement to the commission on August 8 2018, the former deputy finance minister claimed that he was still unsure with whom he had met.
Gupta also denied that he had made any threats to Jonas, saying that this was a new allegation which had never been mentioned when the former public protector was investigating state capture.
"His [Jonas’s] version of the events of the meeting he had with Mr Fana Hlongwane and Duduzane Zuma is nothing but an intentional fabrication to implicate me in alleged wrongdoing in which I played no part as I was not present and never met Mr Jonas.
"I point out that it is highly unlikely that the meeting took place, because if it did in the manner alleged by Mr Jonas, he would immediately have reported it to his nearest police stations as he, as any other ordinary citizen, was legally obliged and duty bound under the law to do," Gupta said.
Duduzane Zuma was well known to him, he said, and he knew of Hlongwane at the time, but he had no business with them regarding any meeting they had arranged with Jonas and each other on any day.
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