R500 000 a donation or bribe? Joe Singh changes his tune

Just Coal CEO, Joe Singh, hosted a press conference on Friday in Pretoria following widespread media attention after his admission to paying the ANC Youth League R500 000 for a “political favour”. But he failed to pitch up and through his lawyers, stated that “the perception that has been created surrounding the payment is false and lacks substance”.

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In the aftermath of his admission, the Democratic Alliance has demanded that he be arrested immediately, and the ANC Youth League have stated that they never promised him anything and that the accusations are a “smear campaign”.

Sisanda Nomusa Qwabe-Coutaud, Head of Communications at the Joe ingh Group (PTY)Ltd, said that questions asked by www.mobserver.co.za and other allegations against Singh, are “false and incorrect.”

• Referring to Eskom, Singh’s lawyer, Brandon Shabangu, was quoted as saying: “We also received requests for financial gratification and we complied with some and refused many”.

This appears to collaborate allegations from mine managers in the area that have told www.mobserver.co.za that “it was well known in the industry” that Singh would regularly meet with Eskom executives at an upmarket Johannesburg hotel, where “the exchange of a briefcase” would take place.

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• In a radio interview with 702, Singh said he doesn’t see anything wrong with paying R500,000 to the ANCYL for a political favour.

In the interview, Singh admitted that “We did have an expectation, it was that someone politically aligned could deal with Matshela Koko.”

• “Singh must immediately be arrested following his admission that he paid the ANC Youth League (ANCYL) half a million rand in a bid to score political favours.”

This is according to a statement from the Democratic Alliance, released just days after Singh admitted to giving the ANCYL R500 000 with the hopes that Just Coal’s coal contract with Eskom would be reinstated.

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• The DA stated that “Singh’s shameless on-air confession is an admission of guilt and Maine’s acceptance of the questionable “donation” points towards his complicity in a crime. This was not just a donation. This was clearly a bribe to persuade politically aligned individuals close to Eskom to act in Just Coal’s interest.”

MP Natasha Mazzone, who is the DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, said that despite reports indicating that Maine failed to deliver on this promise, money still exchanged hands in what was clearly a blatant attempt to unduly influence an Eskom executive.

“Bribery is a crime and Singh must be held accountable for his illegal and unethical conduct. The DA also calls on the ANCYL to come clean and prove that this was a legitimate donation and that the monies did not line the pockets of any one individual but that it went towards the empowerment of our youth.

“The DA will also be laying charges against Singh and Maine on the allegations that the two possibly contravened Section 3 of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities (PACCA) Act.”

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• According to the ANCYL, the funds are an “innocent donation” and the league denies having anything to do with Eskom.

“We don’t work at Eskom, how do you bribe us for that?”

Mlondi Mkhize, from the ANCYL, further stated that this was a ruse to tarnish the reputation of its President, Collen Maine. Mkhize reiterated that it was not a bribe but a mere donation.

• “We are not aware of any confession of bribery by any of Eskom’s employees. We have no knowledge of senior employees of Eskom that have allegedly met with Mr. Joe Singh at the so called upmarket hotel in Johannesburg, neither do we know of meetings and exchanges of a briefcase,” was the official response to a list of questions sent to Mr Singh by www.mobserver.co.za.

“On the aspect of gratification that we complied with, this relates to various community programmes by people who would request that we fund community projects. tTat we did, and this had nothing to do with Eskom. We have refused to give financial gratification on issues that would amount to corrupt relationships and dealings.

“We refute and term as lies, all allegations that Just Coal and Mr. Singh have been in corrupt relationship with the ANCYL or its President Collen Maine.”

“The R500 000 given to the ANCYL was a donation and Mr. Singh never said that he gave the donation in an expectation that the ANCYL or its president will influence Eskom or its then CEO Matshela Koko. Those words were never uttered by Mr. Singh but by the 702-radio presenter Eusibius Mackaiser.

“Just Coal has given donations to the ANC and its structures in the past and of recent without any expectation of influencing officials of any institutions including Eskom,” said Ms Qwabe-Coutaud.