Sexwale launches probes into claims that Trillian knew of Nene’s axing

26 October 2016 - 10:01 By TMG Digital
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South African businessman and Internationa Federation of the Football Association (FIFA) candidate to the presidency Tokyo Sexwale, gestures as he gives a press conference on October 27, 2015, at the South African football Association (SAFA) headquarters in Johannesburg.
South African businessman and Internationa Federation of the Football Association (FIFA) candidate to the presidency Tokyo Sexwale, gestures as he gives a press conference on October 27, 2015, at the South African football Association (SAFA) headquarters in Johannesburg.
Image: AFP PHOTO/KAREL PRINSLOO

Tokyo Sexwale said that he has launched an “independent investigation” to “test the veracity of allegations” that people within Trillian Capital Partners knew of the axing of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene two months before it happened.

The claims were carried in a story in the Sunday Times‚ which also said the “Gupta-linked company” had “scored millions from state-owned companies for work it never did”.

On Tuesday‚ Sexwale‚ who is its independent non-executive chairman‚ said that “although the alleged matters took place last year before I joined the company in April of this year‚ I should initiate an independent investigation in order to fully test the veracity of these allegations”.

He noted that the “main thrust of the Sunday Times article seems to revolve around alleged pre-knowledge by a member/members of Trillian concerning the replacement of former finance minister Nene by President (Jacob) Zuma with minister Des van Rooyen”.

“In such a situation‚ if true‚ it would be extremely alarming and would require a convincing explanation to the nation as to how that which was only supposed to be known by the president‚ became known in business circles including Trillian‚” said Sexwale‚ an African National Congress stalwart.

“The monster of corruption must not be allowed to take root and overwhelm the good work achieved since 1994”.

The company had on Sunday denied that the Gupta family had any shareholding or other interest whatsoever in Trillian‚ and Sexwale reiterated this on Tuesday‚ saying: “The company is not Gupta-owned‚ and makes the share register of Trillian Holdings available for public scrutiny”. 

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