Gordhan slams 'malicious', 'nonsensical' comments from Survé
Pravin Gordhan has slammed businessman Iqbal Survé for accusing the public enterprises minister of being behind a raid at his Sekunjalo Investment Holdings offices in Cape Town.
During a raid by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority on Wednesday, Survé - also the owner of Independent Media - claimed that the raid was a "political case".
In a video posted on Independent's Business Report website, Survé said: "It's Pravin Gordhan behind this."
He accused the FSCA of obtaining a court order from a judge associated with the Democratic Alliance and Gordhan.
"You went to a judge who is a friend of the DA and Pravin Gordhan. This is purely a fishing expedition on your part," he said, speaking to an official from FSCA.
The authority said the operation was part of an investigation into allegations of "prohibited trading practices (market manipulation)", which could be a contravention of the Financial Markets Act.
South Africa 'It's Pravin Gordhan behind this,' says Iqbal Survé after his office is raided 5 years ago |
In a statement through his lawyers, Gordhan slammed Survé's claims as "malicious, yet nonsensical".
The statement continued that Survé "has launched unsubstantiated attacks on our client without any evidence or facts".
"He also attacked the judiciary. The chief justice has invited those who make these kinds of allegations against judges to come forward with evidence to prove any impropriety on the part of judicial officers. Mr Surve is invited to produce proof of allegations he has made about the two judges, including that one refused to grant the FSCA a warrant and that another judge who granted the warrant did so because he has a relationship with our client [Gordhan]," the lawyer's letter said.
It also claimed that Survé was "deflecting attention" from allegations being made at the Mpati commission into the Public Investment Corporation.
"The focus of our client will steadfastly remain to stabilise the key institutions of the state that have been severely damaged by state capture and corruption. These are state-owned companies that provide electricity to our people and businesses, rail and port facilities to commercial traders and key economic infrastructure to our country. Our client [Gordhan] will not be distracted from this important mandate, notwithstanding the 'fightback' campaign," the statement concluded.
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