The Gupta Family responds to latest innuendo from amaBhungane

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, October 29, 2016/ -- Two days ago, the Gupta Family, via its lawyers, has received questions from amaBhungane’s Susan Comrie, who adopted her usual routine of sending questions laced with innuendo and speculation, but no evidence. This time it related to a company called Homix (see report).

This is the same Ms. Comrie who has contacted us in recent weeks with totally inaccurate information regarding the balance of the Optimum Mine’s Rehabilitation Trust and who last week did not seem to even understand basic facts about which company acquired Optimum Coal Mine.

Both times, Ms. Comrie’s enquiries have inferred impropriety on behalf of the Gupta Family or companies in which it maintains an interest.

The Gupta Family fully respects genuine media enquiries and where possible will seek to reply to in good faith. However, it must distinguish between these enquiries and those which continually regurgitate historical, flawed inferences and seek to act as an unofficial judiciary in the court of public opinion.

The repetition of this same strategy can only be interpreted as an attack on the Family and we have to question the motivation and financial incentives behind it. Some of the recent enquiries have stretched credulity to the limit and we ask amaBhugane: who else do you even vaguely behave in a similar manner towards?

As a result, it was decided not to entertain further enquiries on matters previously reported on.

The Family has, repeatedly, tendered to give comprehensive evidence on any and all matters investigated by the Public Protector and has not been afforded the opportunity to do so. The tender to co-operate with any bona fide and lawful investigation is repeated.

On a separate note, and given other media speculation, the Gupta Family has no knowledge of any alleged investigation by the now disbanded Scorpions.

Statement issued by APO on behalf of The Gupta family, 29 October 2016