EDINBURGH — A large state-controlled and listed Chinese company has put its lawyers onto journalists in connection with reports linking it to Gupta associated bribery and corruption at South African state-owned enterprise Transnet. Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries has been in the sights of investigative journalists at amaBhungane for several years following insider tip-offs over irregularities in its contractual successes. Associations between Gupta entities and Shanghai Zhenhua have also been teased out in reports on the #GuptaLeaks, a huge email cache leaked from the heart of the Gupta empire. The Chinese company is among the biggest beneficiaries of Transnet contracts and amaBhungane has tracked how payments for Shanghai Zhenhua work ended up in a Gupta offshore account. BizNews put questions to Shanghai Zhenhua as well as the Chinese embassy in SA several times – but received no response until yesterday’s story identifying the Shanghai Zhenhua board members who need to address the allegations. As you will read from the Right of Reply from the company published below, Shanghai Zhenhua is demanding a retraction and is adamant it is innocent of all wrongdoing. A similar letter has been addressed to amaBhungane, which has not retracted any of its allegations. – Jackie Cameron
From Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co.
This letter is sent via jackie@biznews.com
Dear Jackie Cameron,
We, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd (hereinafter “ZPMC”), send you this letter concerning your report dated Aug 1st on BIZNEWS about ZPMC’s crane delivery contracts with Transnet, stating our position and demands as follow, ZPMC, as a state-owned and listed company in PRC, always operates our business in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. In respect of this specific case, ZPMC hereby states that we have no business or any other relationship with Guptas.
What you described or hinted in your report is totally against ZPMC’s commitments as a public company or as a world-wide leading company in the industry. We must point out that the content in your report related to ZPMC is untrue and severely damages the reputation of ZPMC and other interests of ours.
ZPMC has responded to amaBhungane’s queries dated July 31st, and have clearly stated ZPMC has no relationship with Guptas, the President of South Africa, his family etc. Please refer to the attachment for details. We hereby require you to withdraw the report published at BIZNEWS or other medias (if any). Furthermore, we require you to contact ZPMC for information before you make any report concerning ZPMC to make sure your report is totally true, complete and accurate.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
All our rights are expressly reserved.
Best regards
Legal Department Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co.,Ltd.
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AmaBhungane query: ZPMC allegedly paid kickbacks to the Guptas
AmaBhungane query: ZPMC allegedly paid kickbacks to the GuptasDear Mr. McKune, We are the legal department of ZPMC and we have received your below email from our business department on 25th July, 2017. As a state-owned and listed company in China, we always operate our business compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
In respect of this specific case, we confirm we have no any business or other relationship with Guptas, your president Jacob Zuma, his family or the now-former CEO and CFO of Transnet. We even do not exactly know who they are before your email. Therefore some of the facts in your below email are untrue. We believe it is not necessary or worthy for you to report anything related to our company, but if you would like to do so, it is suggested that you should obtain prior consent of our company and make sure your report is totally true, complete and accurate. All our right are expressly reserved.
Best regards, Ruth Ge
Legal & Securities Department Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co., Ltd Tel: +86 021 31198220
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