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/ 14 September 2006
The Mail & Guardian was interdicted from publishing a major story on Thursday when Maanda Manyatshe, the boss of cellphone giant MTN South Africa, applied for an interim interdict in the Johannesburg High Court to prevent its publication. After a request from Manyatshe’s lawyers, Judge Mohammed Jajbhay granted the applicants more time to respond to the M&G‘s answering affidavit.
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/ 8 September 2006
The R7,2-billion in foreign direct investment promised by the Russian investment group Renova may not be quite what it seems, documents detailing the financial structure of the deal suggest. The most prominent among the business people accompanying Russian President Vladimir Putin on his first visit to South Africa was Renova chairperson Victor Vekselberg, Russia’s third-richest man.
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/ 1 September 2006
The homeless man who was arrested on Wednesday after claiming in a radio interview to have witnessed Brett Kebble’s murder, earlier gave the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> a description of the "killer". Lesego Amos Yekane (24) was interviewed by the <i>M&G</i> on Tuesday. He described the alleged killer as a "huge man with a bald head".
The Donen Commission investigating abuse of the Iraqi oil-for-food programme is on the comeback trail. It is demanding testimony including how African National Congress secretary general Kgalema Motlanthe intervened with Saddam Hussein’s regime on behalf of the central figure in the Oilgate saga, Sandi Majali.
What is it that "Silver Fox" Kessie Naidu told former justice minister Penuell Maduna and Scorpions boss Leonard McCarthy about the "encrypted fax" detailing Jacob Zuma’s alleged bribe demand — but that neither will disclose? Affidavits detail extraordinary off-the-record negotiations between the state and French arms group Thales.
Startling new allegations against the man code-named "The Landlord" have emerged at a bail hearing following last month’s massive Scorpions-led drug bust.
Based on witness affidavits and source interviews, the <i>Mail & Guardian</i> last week identified the "The Landlord" as Glen Agliotti.
Glenn Agliotti, the Brett Kebble associate who is close to Police National Commissioner Jackie Selebi, has been identified by the Scorpions as a "boss" of "one of South Africa’s most prominent syndicates" smuggling drugs and other contraband. Scorpions Gauteng head Gerhard Nel dropped the bombshell — although under the cover of a code name.
The Scorpions appear to have knocked over the first domino in their bid to probe the criminal networks surrounding the late Brett Kebble. Last Friday, Directorate of Special Operations spokesperson Makhosini Nkosi announced the arrest of five people suspected of being part of an international drug syndicate.
For months, the rumour mill that churns on in the wake of the collapse of the Kebble empire has been spitting out two names: Charles Cornwall and Paul Main.
”Go to Plettenberg Bay and visit the polo estates,” said the tipsters, ”you’ll find answers there.” But until this week Cornwall and Main — members of Plett’s jet set and aficionados of the rich man’s sport — had managed to stay off the front pages.
Glenn Agliotti, the man National Police Commissioner Jackie Selebi says is his ”friend, finish and klaar” is larger than life, charismatic and caring. He is also a fraudster who keeps popping up in proximity to contraband. Last week, the Mail & Guardian highlighted his association with Selebi and Brett Kebble.