British consultancy Bain & Co., identified by the “Zondo” judicial commission as involved in public corruption in South Africa under Jacob Zuma’s presidency, has been banned from the United Kingdom for three years, South African newspapers reported on Wednesday.
A consultant initially hired by the South African government to reform the country’s tax authority has been banned from applying for public contracts in the United Kingdom, according to a British government decision, cited in South African newspapers.
A hearing by South African judge Raymond Zondo concluded that Bain acted in “collusion” with Zuma, who was president from 2009 to 2018.
According to the South African press, the British multinational denied any involvement in public corruption in South Africa and said it had “reversed” the fees charged in a consultation with the South African Revenue Service (SARS).
Besides Britain’s Bain, at least three European companies and one American have returned payments to the South African government for their involvement in scandals in the country during Zuma’s presidency.
The South African government estimates that public corruption has cost the country about 500 billion rand (29.3 billion euros) during Zuma’s nearly 10-year rule.
The Judiciary Commission “Zondo” was created in January 2018 following a report on corruption “Captura do Estado” authored by the then Ombudsman of the Republic, Thuli Madonsela, published in October 2016.
According to the Zondo Commission, the report was based on Madonsela’s investigation into various allegations of misconduct by South African President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family.
In July, President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his predecessor’s decree that corruption had “torn the soul” of the nation and “severely eroded the social contract between government and citizens”.
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