Lynne Brown helped Guptas capture Eskom – #StateCaptureReport

Dennis TMay 3, 2022

95 1 minute read

The Zondo Commission says it was no coincidence the one-time Western Cape premier was chosen by former President Jacob Zuma to lead the Public Enterprises portfolio in 2014. It believes the Gupta brothers probably had a hand in Lynne Brown’s first and only ministerial appointment.

The Commission has taken a dim view of her inability to remember pertinent facts and to pass the buck to officials. Her cellphone records were a decisive factor in determining whether she was a conscious agent of state capture.

Despite Brown’s denials she ever knew Gupta associate Salim Essa, he called her at least eight times in the run-up to the appointment of new Eskom board of directors.

The commission has rejected Brown’s evidence she cannot remember anything about these conversations and believes she was deliberately untruthful in this regard.

Brown’s also been criticised for not providing her security records to challenge the testimony of former board chair Zola Tsotsi that Tony Gupta was present at a meeting at her residence.
Her evidence, related to the procedure followed in selecting inexperienced directors to the board, has been found to be inconsistent.

The commission says Brown also facilitated capture by putting pressure on the board to suspend certain Eskom executives.

Although no criminal findings have been made against her, the Commission has concluded the Eskom board was captured with her assistance. Approached for comment, she said she is still reviewing the findings and is not yet ready to respond.

Source: eNCA