London PR firm Bell Pottinger bit off more than it could chew when accepting £100,000 a month to legitimise the Gupta capture of the South African state. Its decision has cost the firm the long standing accounts of Richemont and Investec. And now the firm’s inner workings are being exposed through coverage of the #GuptaLeaks emails.
But there could be a lot worse to come. A pal who’s close to the Johannesburg legal fraternity says there’s been much talk among civic-minded silks on the prospect of laying criminal charges against the London firm. The way the lawyers see it, BP was a key player in a conspiracy that distributed manufactured evidence to attack innocent parties. Among them the corruption allegations against former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas.
They’ve even unearthed a UK case which could serve as a precedent But first someone in the UK needs to lay formal charges against this purveyor of dark media arts. Guess the BP lads and lasses are discovering why the Guptas pay top dollar. Big bucks bring big risk.
