Ajay Gupta seeks to cross-examine Mentor, Maseko

Ajay Gupta filed an application at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture to cross-examine former African National Congress MP Vytjie Mentor and former GCIS head Themba Maseko.

The Commission resumed with public hearings in Parktown in Johannesburg on Monday. Last week both Mentor and Maseko implicated Ajay Gupta in their testimony.

The former ANC MP told the inquiry that Ajay offered her the post of Public Enterprises Minister and informed her of an upcoming cabinet reshuffle in 2010.

Maseko also told the commission that Ajay Gupta instructed him to redirect the communications budget to the New Age Newspaper.

Ajay Gupta’s representative, Mike Hellens, said, “Mr Ajay Gupta filed an application in terms of the rules of this commission to cross examine Miss Mentor and Mr Maseko. He also filed an affidavit in respect of both those parties setting out his version of the events, from which he clearly emerges the areas of dispute between the parties.”

Meanwhile, implicated Hawks officials Major General Zinhle Mnonopi and Mandla Mtolo have also submitted applications to cross examine Mentor and former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas, according to their legal representative Vincent Sewela.

Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo has announced that all applications which have been filed to the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture to cross examine some of the witnesses will be heard on Wednesday.