Journalist Pinky Khoabane has categorically denied ever receiving money from facilities management company Bosasa.
Her denial was posted on social media moments after former Bosasa COO Angelo Agrizzi told the Zondo commission of inquiry into state capture that Khoabane and two other journalists were paid bribes to ensure that negative stories about Bosasa did not appear in their publications.
Khoabane, who previously worked for now-defunct Gupta owned New Age newspaper, posted a series of tweets on Agrizzi's testimony.
I have never met Angelo Agrizzi. I simply reported on his racist rants and his links. I will make a submission to @StateCaptureCom
— Pinky Khoabane (@pinkykhoabane) January 28, 2019
She also denied knowing any journalist named Ntuli, one of the other names Agrizzi mentioned as accepting bribes.
Don't know of any Ntuli https://t.co/cm0QTVRUGe
— Pinky Khoabane (@pinkykhoabane) January 28, 2019
Political commentator Pierre de Vos commented that Agrizzi never actually testified to Khoabane.
Maybe I missed it, but there was no claim that Agrizzi met you. Claim was that Bosasa paid you via middleman. So this tweet is denying what was not alleged and failing to deny that which was alleged. Maybe an oversight? https://t.co/adEVWuUS4f
— Pierre de Vos (@pierredevos) January 28, 2019
According to Khoabane, she had absolutely no knowledge of Bosasa until last year when a friend sent her a recording of Agrizzi allegedly calling colleagues racist names.
I actually must listen to his testimony. I'm reacting to things here on Twitter. I never knew anything about Bosasa until a friend sent me the recording. It had already been around for a few weeks. But anyway, let me find his testimony https://t.co/FUhKju7js6
— Pinky Khoabane (@pinkykhoabane) January 28, 2019
In subsequent tweets, Khoabane sets out the events around her reporting on Agrizzi's alleged racial slurs and says she will set the record straight at the inquiry.
Let me set the record straight which I will do to the State Capture Commission.
1. I received a recording of racist Agrizzi calling his colleagues Kaffirs
2. He says he can fix Bosasa through the contacts he made in the media, names Adriaan Basson, Derek Watts & others.
— Pinky Khoabane (@pinkykhoabane) January 28, 2019
I received the recording from a friend who sent it to me.
I only ever interacted with Bosasa in around Oct 2018 when I called to get authenticity of the tape. I have an email to that effect
I then met Papa Leshabane as spokesperson of Bosasa. He gave me no money
— Pinky Khoabane (@pinkykhoabane) January 28, 2019
I later received many recordings where former Chief Financial Officer says Agrizzi says Adriaan Basson can help them fix the company from its negative publicity. There's also a piece of paper written by Agrizzi in which he says AA (Angelo Agrizzi) AB (Adriaan Basson) will do this
— Pinky Khoabane (@pinkykhoabane) January 28, 2019
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