On March 11, Travel News carried a story entitled ‘R30,5m poured into SAA corruption investigation’ https://www.travelnews.co.za/article/r305m-poured-saa-corruption-investigation
In the story, Travel News reported verbatim from the Scopa report, which is a public record, that in her presentation to Scopa, lead investigator and provincial head of Eastern Cape SIU office, Zodwa Xesibe, brought several matters to the committee’s attention, one of them concerning allegations against Bolloré.
Bolloré has contacted Travel News, objecting to some of the content of the article, saying it had already, in 2017, refuted the allegations. Bolloré’s letter to Travel News follows.
“The article in TravelNews.co.za penned by Sarah Robertson entitled ‘R30,5m poured into SAA corruption investigation’ refers.
‘Bolloré’ is mentioned regarding a ‘scandal’ as per press reports in 2017. The article mentions allegations of a five-year SAAT contract being awarded to Bolloré, alleges conflict of interest in the tender process and also alleges falsified BEE certificates.
What the article ignores, however, is that in the same press reports from 2017, Bolloré Africa Logistics SA (BALSA) responded to these allegations. The business strongly denied all the allegations of corrupt dealings with SAAT then, and continues to categorically deny them in strongest terms today. All the allegations were, and continue to be false, unfounded and preposterous.
BALSA’s response, which was widely placed and circulated as part of the 2017 press reportage the author refers to, was conveniently left out in the TravelNews.co.za report. This furthers a narrative that is damaging to BALSA’s business reputation.
Further, mentioning the awarding of the contract without mentioning that BALSA withdrew its interest in the contract months before any press furore, presents an incomplete and misleading story. BALSA clearly shared, to wide placement and circulation, that the business’s withdrawal of interest in the contract occurred after one year of efforts to engage SAAT had lapsed without any conclusion at all.
To date, BALSA or any of its subsidiary businesses, has not done any work with SAAT with respect to the mentioned five-year contract, or any other contract at that.”
