JOHANNESBURG - On Monday reports surfaced that the Gupta family and their associates are set to appear before Parliament's Eskom Inquiry on March 6, this according to Chair of the portfolio committee on public enterprises, Zukiswa Rantho.
Ranto confirmed the reports to Fin24 on Monday. Rantho told the publication that despite the committee not having sent a formal invitation to the Gupta brothers, and a notice had been issued indicating the committee would like to see an appearance by the Guptas and their associates. A formal invitation has not yet been sent to the family.
Ranto said according to the committee's programme, the Guptas and their associates would appear on Tuesday March 6, however it would be up to the Gupta family to decide which one of them is to appear.
The news comes after City Press reported that the Hawks were closing in on the Gupta family and their government associates, amid fresh investigations into state capture.
The publication reported that at least seven criminal cases linked to the controversial family are at an advanced stage of the investigation. Suspended Eskom head of legal Suzanne Daniels last year told parliament about how Ajay Gupta and his business associate Salim Essa, had tried to influence decisions of certain Eskom executives.
Daniels testified about how met Ajay Gupta, Duduzane Zuma and Deputy Minister of Public Enterprises Ben Martins met at an apartment at Melrose Arch, Johannesburg on July 29 last year.
In her account, Daniels testified that, Ajay Gupta had requested information about former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe’s court case. Molefe at the time, was requesting the courts to overturn a decision taken by Eskom to rescind his reappointment.
The Eskom Inquiry into state capture and mismanagement at the power utility resumed last week. Committee members heard testimony from Eskom's head of generation Matshela Koko and former Eskom chief financial officer, Anoj Singh.