Denel board member and adviser to minister Malusi Gigaba, Thamsanqa Msomi, has emerged as the fixer for Gupta family associates in the Department of Home Affairs, documents show.
A leaked e-mail trail revealed how the Guptas' "man on the inside", Msomi, received e-mails from Gupta family associates asking for assistance for visas for "clients", confirming long-standing speculation over his alleged links to the family.
Msomi was Gigaba's chief of staff while he was public enterprises minister, later becoming his legal adviser while Gigaba was home affairs minister and was then appointed to the board of Denel in 2015.
Msomi does not deny the picture painted in the e-mails but said his actions were not out of the ordinary.
Sowetan's sister publication The Times further established in interviews yesterday that when Msomi was in Home Affairs he instructed junior officials in the department to assist Gupta-owned Sahara CEO Ashu Chawla to do the Guptas' bidding.
The leaked e-mail trail showed how a director in the department was made to liaise with embassy officials on Chawla's behalf as well as keep him informed of private happenings in the department.
Chawla received assistance on anything from getting visas fast-tracked irregularly, to having the minister allegedly replace an official standing in their way in a consulate office in Mumbai, India.
A junior official revealed that the assistance he provided Gupta associates was on instruction "from the top".
When pressed, he alleged he helped the Guptas and associates at the behest of Msomi.
The e-mails paint a picture of how the rules of the department were repeatedly flouted for the Gupta family and their business interests. When an official in the Mumbai consulate tried to implement the rules, there was an attempt to have him replaced.
This move caused controversy in the department but was said to have been "approved by the minister".
Gigaba's spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete yesterday denied that the minister was involved but did not respond in detail, as promised, at the time of publication.
Msomi, meanwhile, said his contact with Chawla was only on urgent matters.
"But, yes, if he [Chawla] had issues that were home affairs- related he would call at times or e-mail. In respect of others he would communicate with the department directly," Msomi said.
But e-mails show he was forwarded an e-mail originally sent to Tony Gupta from a Durban attorney asking for assistance with a client's visa.
The same e-mail was then forwarded to Msomi by Chawla, on the same day, January 16 2016. Msomi responds less than 10 minutes later, confirming receipt.
"Evening my brother. Your e-mail was received please ask the attorney to provide more details on the matter," he wrote.
Msomi said once an issue had been referred to the ministry, the "attitude is that it should be resolved because it is the last resort for our clients."
How Gigaba man helped Guptas
Denel board member and adviser to minister Malusi Gigaba, Thamsanqa Msomi, has emerged as the fixer for Gupta family associates in the Department of Home Affairs, documents show.
A leaked e-mail trail revealed how the Guptas' "man on the inside", Msomi, received e-mails from Gupta family associates asking for assistance for visas for "clients", confirming long-standing speculation over his alleged links to the family.
Msomi was Gigaba's chief of staff while he was public enterprises minister, later becoming his legal adviser while Gigaba was home affairs minister and was then appointed to the board of Denel in 2015.
Msomi does not deny the picture painted in the e-mails but said his actions were not out of the ordinary.
Sowetan's sister publication The Times further established in interviews yesterday that when Msomi was in Home Affairs he instructed junior officials in the department to assist Gupta-owned Sahara CEO Ashu Chawla to do the Guptas' bidding.
The leaked e-mail trail showed how a director in the department was made to liaise with embassy officials on Chawla's behalf as well as keep him informed of private happenings in the department.
Chawla received assistance on anything from getting visas fast-tracked irregularly, to having the minister allegedly replace an official standing in their way in a consulate office in Mumbai, India.
A junior official revealed that the assistance he provided Gupta associates was on instruction "from the top".
When pressed, he alleged he helped the Guptas and associates at the behest of Msomi.
The e-mails paint a picture of how the rules of the department were repeatedly flouted for the Gupta family and their business interests. When an official in the Mumbai consulate tried to implement the rules, there was an attempt to have him replaced.
This move caused controversy in the department but was said to have been "approved by the minister".
Gigaba's spokesman Mayihlome Tshwete yesterday denied that the minister was involved but did not respond in detail, as promised, at the time of publication.
Msomi, meanwhile, said his contact with Chawla was only on urgent matters.
"But, yes, if he [Chawla] had issues that were home affairs- related he would call at times or e-mail. In respect of others he would communicate with the department directly," Msomi said.
But e-mails show he was forwarded an e-mail originally sent to Tony Gupta from a Durban attorney asking for assistance with a client's visa.
The same e-mail was then forwarded to Msomi by Chawla, on the same day, January 16 2016. Msomi responds less than 10 minutes later, confirming receipt.
"Evening my brother. Your e-mail was received please ask the attorney to provide more details on the matter," he wrote.
Msomi said once an issue had been referred to the ministry, the "attitude is that it should be resolved because it is the last resort for our clients."
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