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Suzanne Daniels says she fears for her life.
Alon Skuy, Gallo Images, Sunday Times
- The commission has been trying to uncover the identity of the user of a private email used to share key Eskom information.
- Several people have been linked to the email, including former board chair Ben Ngubane and Gupta’s business partner, Salim Essa.
- Former company secretary Suzanne Daniels has denied being the user of the unknown email address.
Former Eskom company secretary Suzanne Daniels on Friday accused former executive Matshela Koko of “misleading” the commission of inquiry into the state capture by claiming that the person behind an email address who was aware of the operational affairs at the energy company was former chairman of the board of directors Ben Ngubane. .
Discovering the owner of the email address [email protected] or ‘Entrepreneur’ has been a key factor in the evidence related to Eskom.
The electronic communication from the anonymous user contained critical information related to Eskom’s business dealings with Gupta entities, and its content was subsequently adopted as board resolutions, including discussions of a prepayment of R1.68 billion to Tegeta Exploration and Resources. .
Tegeta’s prepayment was later turned into a guarantee, in a move that was aimed at minimizing risk to Eskom, according to evidence heard by the commission.
Daniels said the idea to extend the guarantee came from outside of Eskom, prompting Supreme Court Vice President Raymond Zondo to ask him to further explain outside influence.
“At that time it came from Matshela Koko and ‘Entrepreneur’. Based on the evidence and other emails, it is more than likely that this Mr. Entrepreneur is Mr Salim Essa,” Daniels said.
Based on the evidence so far heard by the commission, the anonymous author of the emails that have come into the limelight appeared to have influence over Eskom’s board and some executives, and sometimes shared confidential Eskom information.
Zondo asked Daniels to respond to a claim from Koko, where he said he would be surprised if the person using the alias ‘Entrepreneur’ was Salim Essa or someone outside the company. Koko had said that Daniels had told her that “Entrepreneur” was the chairman of the board, Ngubane.
In his response, Daniels, who was testifying via video link from the United States, said that he thought “Koko is trying to mislead the commission.”
“In any moment [did I tell] tells you that the address of the information portal or the “businessman” belongs to Dr. Ngubane. I categorically deny it, “Daniels said.
The idea of converting Tegeta’s prepayment into guarantee also came from the email address of the ‘Entrepreneur’, as did the drafting of the guarantee contract.
Koko, the former head of generation at Eskom, is said to have shared Eskom-related documents with the “Businessman’s” address.
Essa, a business partner of Gupta, has not testified before the commission, while Koko has appeared and responded to the accusations made against him.
To demonstrate the commission’s attempt to uncover the unknown email user, test lead advocate Pule Seleka drew the commission’s attention to an interview Daniels did with Radio702, where Koko was asked who he was. owner of the ‘Entrepreneur’ address or [email protected], and Koko had said, at the time, that it was Suzanne Daniels.
Daniels insisted that she was not the user behind the “Entrepreneur” email address.
