Johannesburg - The South African Revenue Service denied reports on Friday that its head, Tom Moyane, had
met members of the controversial Gupta family, whose
relationship with President Jacob Zuma is at the centre of a
string of influence-peddling scandals.
"Commissioner Moyane categorically states that he has never
met any member of the Gupta family in either his private or
professional capacity," it said in a statement.
Local media outlets said this week Moyane had made numerous
trips to Dubai since 2015 that coincided with trips by other
government officials and executives of state firms to meet
secretly with the Gupta.
Many of the scandals around the Guptas, who have denied any
wrong-doing, concern access to lucrative state contracts.
Sars said Moyane had been in Dubai, where the
Guptas have a home, in December 2015 en route to spend Christmas
in Portugal.
This week, Atul Gupta, one of the three Gupta brothers,
questioned the authenticity of thousands of leaked documents and
emails purportedly from inside the family's mining-to-media
commercial empire.
Zuma has also denied any impropriety.