CONTRACT CLAIMS
Guptas ‘wanted kickback’ from Bombardier for locomotive deal
Salim Essa 'demanded fixer fee' from Canadian train and plane maker at Zurich meeting
With Transnet’s R54bn locomotive deal likely to come under the spotlight in criminal investigations of state capture, a well-placed source has told Business Day of a meeting in Zurich with a former Bombardier representative at which a kickback for the Guptas was allegedly proposed. The source, who had intimate knowledge of the negotiations, said the meeting took place at a private board room in a hotel in Zurich in September 2012, two months after Transnet had issued a request for proposals for 1,064 locomotives. Among those who allegedly attended the meeting were the former Bombardier executive, a Transnet official and close Gupta associate Salim Essa. Bombardier had just lost a previous Transnet tender for 95 locomotives to rival train manufacturer China South Rail. The source claims Essa asked the Bombardier official to arrange a 20% kickback for the Guptas if the Canadian aircraft and train manufacturer wanted to be awarded the contract.The source claims that Essa said: "We cont...
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