The auction industry has been painted as a haven for shady people. An anonymous bid to target journalists only reinforces that view Rael Levitt — PICTURE: SUPPLIED What do these infamous people — mining magnate Brett Kebble, Regal Bank CEO Jeff Levenstein, Fidentia boss J Arthur Brown and the SABC’s Hlaudi Motsoeneng — have in common? All of them, having been caught cheating, launched blistering attacks on the journalists who outed them.It’s as if the “media” told the lies in the first place, not these blameless souls. Yet in every case, high court judges confirmed they’d broken the rules.This didn’t stop Kebble from accusing the media of peddling “hidden agendas” implying (gasp!) he was a crook. It didn’t stop Motsoeneng, after being exposed for lying about his matric, from calling for journalists to be “licensed”, saying they “don’t show what is good”.But playing the victim is a risky strategy when you’re operating in the shadows. The auction industry is a case in point.Three mont...

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