An SAA director has been accused of soliciting bribes from a supplier to smooth over trade union dissatisfaction as well as a Hawks investigation into a R1.4-billion tender.
Siphile Buthelezi, chairman of the airline's maintenance and repair subsidiary, SAA Technical (SAAT), is accused in a letter from joint-venture suppliers JM Aviation and AAR Corp, which had won the R1.4-billion deal, of soliciting payment for "a lady" during a meeting at his law firm's offices in Rivonia, Johannesburg, on June 5.
In a written response to the companies, Buthelezi denies the claims, insisting he never said he could make any arrangements "with the unions or any person".The "lady", whose identity is not revealed in the letters, seems to have been "negatively influencing the Hawks and trade unions against JM/AAR Corp", according to JM Aviation director Julian Aires' letter to Buthelezi dated June 6.
"You expressed that if we did not accept your offer and include this lady, that the contract would be set aside in court with the objective of replacing JM/ AAR through a new tender process."
In the letter, Aires dismissed the request, saying his company had won the tender fair and square, and had even survived scrutiny by the high court.
"I would like to emphasise that JM/AAR was awarded this tender with SAAT fairly and legally ... Therefore, it makes no sense why any arrangement needs to be made, or why anyone would want to cancel the contract when JM/AAR is cutting costs and supplying such a good service to SAAT. That is how we work, not by paying people off illegally."
Aires' letter was followed by a another letter the next day from AAR Africa president Cheryle Jackson to the SAAT board, in which she describes the meeting between Buthelezi and Aires as "alarming" and "inappropriate".
She wrote: "AAR is a well-respected, publicly traded global company. We are governed by US laws including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and as such we vigilantly guard against impropriety.
"AAR respectfully requests that the SAAT board immediately look into matters raised in the conversation and the letter so that we can sort out any outstanding concerns or questions."
In his responding letter on the same day, Buthelezi disputes that the meeting was about SAA business, saying Aires approached him through his cousin's friend, seeking assistance with another project involving Robben Island.
"I DID NOT say I can make any arrangements with the unions or any person," Buthelezi wrote. "It remains our position as SAAT that the contract was awarded legally as per our defence at the high court. It's the newspapers that report that the contract was awarded illegally, quoting an alleged forensic report.
"Mr Aires did ask me about the recent newspaper articles in relation to the AAR/JM contract and I briefly responded in my personal capacity and how I viewed the whole situation. In doing so, I made sure that I do not divulge confidential board issues, hence the usage of the words like 'alleged'."
Responding to questions from the Sunday Times, Buthelezi re-iterated his denials, adding that the meeting was in his personal capacity. "I have never discussed the AAR/JM Aviation tender or any tender outside a board meeting," he said...