Gupta man blitzes MPs with e-mail

Parliamentarians were left scratching their heads over an e-mail blitz late yesterday by Gupta family-owned The New Age newspaper editor-in-chief Moegsien Williams, who tried to defend the family against a court bid by Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan.

The e-mail to MPs seeks to explain seemingly dodgy transactions that led to banks closing the Guptas' Oakbay company accounts.

The family is at the centre of raging battles over state-capture allegations, which will continue to play out in the Pretoria High Court and in the streets of the capital today as hundreds of people march over the issue.

Constitutional law expert and political analyst Shadrack Gutto said the letter was bizarre and indicated the extent of the Gupta family's influence in government affairs.

• Gupta associates on Transnet inside trackA non-executive director at Transnet has been drawn into what appears to be a well-orchestrated scheme to channel millions of rands in state contracts to a Gupta-linked company.

"The letter indicates that the family has been influencing government for a long time and thinks it can even influence government institutions such as parliament, which has legal and constitutional obligations to meet. They think they can control all government and they have been allowed that space," he said.

"Unfortunately, because of the bad leadership we have at the moment, they believe they can extend the influence. But parliament has an obligation to indicate it is not going to be part of that; that it does not become part of the collapsed state in the country. We are dealing here with the issues of a collapsing state being controlled by the private sector," he added.

• Trillian Capital denies Gupta family has any stake or interest in the companyTrillian Capital Partners on Sunday denied that the Gupta family had any shareholding or other interest whatsoever in Trillian Holdings.

The letter comes after Gordhan applied to the Pretoria High Court for a declaratory order that he has no power to intervene in the banks' dealings with Oakbay - this after the family demanded his intervention. He attached an annexure that revealed how Gupta family businesses were allegedly involved in suspicious transactions amounting to R6.8-billion, which led to banks closing accounts.

Under the letterhead of TNA Media, Williams said it was understood the matter would be raised in parliamentary debates and discussions.

"We would like to keep you apprised of the facts, cut through the media 'noise' and ensure you have an accurate understanding of the situation," he wrote.

• Guptas to Gordhan: We'll see you in courtThe Guptas want to question Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan in court.

He then commented on the allegedly suspicious transactions.

ANC parliamentary spokesman Moloto Mothapo said the letter was misplaced.

"It is not a matter for parliament or MPs. It is a matter for the courts," he said.

DA chief whip John Steenhuisen agreed, saying the matter had nothing to do with parliament.

After first welcoming Gordhan's court action, the Guptas later indicated they would oppose the matter.

• The dark heart of state capture: Whistleblower flees after shock claimsSensational claims that go to the heart of state capture for the first time detail how a Gupta-linked company knew of the axing of former finance minister Nhlanhla Nene two months before it happened - and scored millions from state-owned companies for work it never did.

It is unclear why Williams wrote to all MPs before the Guptas filed their opposing court papers.

"We are obviously keen to use minister Gordhan's application to clearing our name in court [sic]. If you so wish we will be able to provide you with Oakbay's replying affidavit for your perusal, when it is filed in court," Williams wrote.

Steenhuisen said the letter was "remarkable and unprecedented".

"Mr Williams has lost all semblance of credibility," he said.

Williams was unavailable for comment. Gupta lawyer Gert van der Merwe could also not be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, crowds gathered overnight in Church Square in Pretoria in the build-up to today's planned protests over state capture.

The EFF, DA and civil society groups under the banner of Save SA have all applied to march in Pretoria today.

EFF leader Julius Malema said the city would be "painted red".

Malema attended the first day of argument in the much-anticipated state-capture report case.

Lawyers for President Jacob Zuma, Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane and Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen faced off against opposition parties, which wanted to be admitted as parties in the case. Zuma, Van Rooyen and Zwane want a report by former public protector Thuli Madonsela interdicted from release as it allegedly details incidents of state capture.

The DA, UDM, EFF and COPE, as well as former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor, were granted access to the case after a full day of argument.

Zuma's initial application to block the release of the state-capture report could not be heard on October 14 after the four political parties and Van Rooyen applied to be admitted as parties to proceedings.

Van Rooyen withdrew his initial application on October 21 after assurances from the public protector that the report contained no adverse findings against him.

But Van Rooyen resuscitated his application over the weekend after a Sunday Times report saying it had evidence that he was implicated in the report.

Van Rooyen advanced this argument yesterday in pursuit of an urgent interdict against the report as well as to review it.

But the court ruled that his application was not urgent.

The court will today hear arguments for and against Zuma's amendment application