Times Media boss responds to Independent journalist's bizarre personal attack

Times Media chief executive Andrew Bonamour was sent a list of questions by journalist Joseph Booysen of Business Report‚ published by Independent Media.

The questions arrived the day after Independent’s Iqbal Surve served legal notice over an article critical of his company by journalist Ann Crotty.

Here are the questions:

Dear Mr Bonamour

I am preparing an article for Business Report and will greatly appreciate your comment on the issue regarding TMG. Can you please confirm‚ getting a salary of R28-million? Is it true that TNG retrenched 450 people‚ mostly black? Did you keep the white middle management? Is Business Day running at a loss? Did you sell Nu Metro to your friends without lease agreements? Did you sell Exclusive Books to Mark Barnes‚ CEO of SAPO (South African Post Office) and did you declare this to your shareholders‚ Are you friends with Mr Barnes and did you work with him at Brait? Is it true that Dr Johan Rupert was given a Lift Time Achiever Award? Are you a racist? Would it please be possible to respond to these questions by the end of business today?

Kind regards

Joseph Booysen | Business Report: Multimedia reporter

Here are Bonamour’s responses:

Q: Can you please confirm‚ getting a salary of R28 million?

Thanks for the increase ... I'll spend it wisely. Oh wait‚ you'll need to get it past the board's remuneration committee first. Damn.

Q: Is it true that TNG retrenched 450 people‚ mostly black?

You must be confusing us with another media house.

Q: Did you keep the white middle management?

See above

Q: Is Business Day running at a loss?

Read our financial statements - the documents are in the public domain.

Q: Did you sell Nu Metro to your friends without lease agreements?

You obviously haven't encountered the concept of corporate governance ...

Q: Did you sell Exclusive Books to Mark Barnes‚ CEO of SAPO and did you declare this to your shareholders‚ Are you friends with Mr Barnes and did you work with him at Brait?

Ditto above - TMG has a board of directors who take their fiduciary duty rather seriously.

Q: Is it true that Dr Johan Rupert was given a Lift Time Achiever Award?

To my knowledge Johann Rupert is self-sufficient and doesn't require lifts

Q: Are you a racist?

Oy vey ...

Q: Would it please be possible to respond to these questions by the end of business today?

Lighten up Boet ... it's a Friday

Bonamour added: "On a serious note‚ these questions clearly suggest that a deliberate effort is being made to denigrate myself and Times Media because one of our journalists had the temerity to ask questions about a media business. While a healthy open discussion about the media is essential to any democracy‚ this sort of slanderous attack is to be regretted."