Sunday Times denies allegations that reporter got bag of money‚ calls on Koko to provide proof

23 November 2017 - 19:05 By Timeslive
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Matshela Koko.
Matshela Koko.
Image: FREDDY MAVUNDA

The Sunday Times has called on suspended acting Eskom CEO Matshela Koko to provide proof after his legal representatives circulated a document claiming journalist Mzilikazi wa Afrika received a bag full of money.

“When he first made enquiries about the contracts to Impulse International‚ Koko's step-daughter's company‚ the reporter said that Matshela Koko had offered him a bag of money - which he refused.

"The day before publication of the story‚ he told his editors that Impulse International's CEO‚ Pragasen Pather‚ wrote R500‚000 on a piece of paper and told him: ‘This now‚ and the same again on Monday.’ Again he refused.

“It was after these efforts failed that Mzilikazi was told he was being followed and his life was under threat. Sunday Times published a story about that and hired protection for him.

After these efforts to throw Mzilikazi off the scent were thwarted‚ the next step is to try to discredit him through this affidavit.

“Mzilikazi wa Afrika has denied the allegations: ‘I don't know the incident this man is describing. I never met any one at that place. I never gave my keys to anyone - it's a security risk. No one has ever given me a bribe. As a matter of fact I refused a bag of money from Koko himself in the middle of the night. Why would I accept a bag of money in daylight? I also refused a bribe from Pragasen Panther.’

“In the absence of any credible information to the contrary‚ Sunday Times stands by its reporter. If anyone has evidence of any payments they should come forward. Koko himself has never raised these issues with Sunday Times.”


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