Nedbank’s CEO Michael Brown is set to testify at the state capture inquiry on Wednesday.
This follows testimony by FNB and Absa on Tuesday.
According to testimony to date, the ANC approached the CEOs of three banks for meetings in 2016 after Gupta bank accounts were closed.
Absa’s former head of compliance Yasmin Masithela testified that the bank’s CEO was approached by Gwede Mantashe to attend a meeting.
“The meeting was opened by Mantashe, who indicated that the meeting was not to discuss client and customer information,” she said.
“Our CEO made it explicitly clear if it was, we would not be able to partake in it. To put it in her own words, it would be a very short meeting.”
Absa did not meet with the inter-ministerial committee while FNB did not meet either the ANC or the ministers.
Mantashe claims a meeting with Standard Bank on the same lines was not hostile.
He’s downplayed the significance of governing party seniors meeting with bankers.
But, former First Rand Group CEO Johan Burger says the invitations were unprecedented.
“In my 32 years in banking, it’s the first time ever I have received requests from a political party or inter-ministerial committee to discuss client banking relationships.”
Source: News24
