Former Eskom board member advised Guptas not to pay R2bn Eskom fine
'I'm happy to get involved to assist with this acquisition. I can meet anyone you require. If you need me in India or Dubai to discuss, I'll meet you there'
Mark Pamensky, a former board member at Eskom and Gupta-owned Oakbay, advised his Gupta colleagues to negotiate an effective discount of almost R2-billion when they bought mining giant Glencore's Optimum Coal in 2015. Pamensky, who recently resigned from both Eskom and Oakbay, was intimately involved in brokering the controversial Optimum deal and advised the Guptas to ensure that they did not pay the R2.1-billion fine which had been imposed by Eskom on Glencore. The fine - levied over a contractual dispute over a coal supply agreement - broke the back of Optimum and forced owners Glencore into a sale, ultimately secured by the Gupta-owned Tegeta. Pamensky's activities raise questions about a conflict of interest. Although he did not sit on Eskom's board tender committee, leaked e-mail correspondence shows he was involved on the side of Tegeta in advising the Guptas against paying the fine. Payment of the fine would have benefited Eskom, whom he also represented at the time. The fin...
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