Businessman Fana Hlongwane has denied paying anyone to influence the awarding of contracts in the government arms deal.
"I did not participate in the decision-making relating to the procurements and can therefore not assist the commission in this regard," he told the Arms Procurement Commission, in Pretoria yesterday.
Hlongwane said he did not know of anyone who had been paid to influence the awarding of contracts.
Hlongwane, an adviser to the then defence ministerJoe Modise, has been at the centre of allegations about the multibillion-rand acquisition of Gripen fighter aircraft from British defence company BAE Systems and Swedish aerospace and defence company Saab.
In 2011, it was widely reported that Hlongwane could be the South African "consultant" who had received R24-million from BAE through a company called Sanip, formed by BAE and Saab.
Yesterday Hlongwane admitted that his company, Ngwane Aerospace, had signed a contract with Sanip in 2003 to act as a consultancy and assist Sanip in the implementation of its national industrial participation programmes. Such programmes were a condition for BAE Systems and Saab winning the arms contracts.
There was nothing untoward about the deal, Hlongwane said.
He said he did not have to justify the terms and conditions that Sanip and Ngwane Aerospace had agreed, or why he had been paid the amount he had been for work done lawfully.
"Contrary to popular belief, I was never appointed or requested by the minister [Modise] to participate in the [strategic defence procurement package] in any manner, shape or form."
Hlongwane slammed critics of the arms deal who had made allegations about his involvement with BAE Systems and his position as an adviser to Modise.
"[Before the commission] all of these 'critics' admitted unequivocally that they had no personal knowledge or any evidence to substantiate the allegations against me.
"Some of the critics refused to appear and testify, and be subjected to cross-examination."
The commission will continue next year.
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