Legalbrief | your legal news hub Thursday 30 September 2021 Jonas lied about Finance Minister offer – Ajay Gupta The battle between the Gupta family and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan over the autonomy of SA's banks intensified in documents lodged in the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) on Friday, notes Legalbrief. In papers responding to Gordhan’s application for a declaratory order that he not be allowed to intervene in a dispute between the Gupta family and the banks, which closed their company accounts last year citing reputational risk, Ajay Gupta accused Deputy Finance Minister Mcebici Jonas of lying about being offered a bribe and the job of Finance Minister at a meeting at the family’s house in Saxonwold, Johannesburg. A BusinessLIVE report notes the alleged incident took place in October 2015, two months before President Jacob Zuma fired then Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene. Gupta said Jonas invented the meeting to create media hype for political gain. ‘The fact of the matter is that Mr Jonas is, with respect, blatantly dishonest when he suggests that he met with me or that I attended a meeting with him,’ Gupta said in his affidavit. ‘Let me … clearly and unambiguously state under oath that I have never met Mr Mcebisi Jonas, not as alleged or at all,’ he said. ‘I can honestly say that I have not spoken a single word to him.’ Gupta also said he was disturbed that Gordhan had referred to the alleged incident in his court filings as fact, ‘without even attempting to obtain a confirmatory affidavit from his deputy, who is in all likelihood occupying an office right next to him’. Jonas told Public Protector Thuli Madonsela during her state capture investigation that Gupta had told him they would make him Finance Minister in return for furthering their business interests. He alleged Gupta offered him a R600m bank transfer and R600 000 in cash, which he refused..