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Report 73 Business Practices Committee

12. The Meeting between VdDussen and Investors on 23 January 1999

 

 

Officials obtained a copy of the tape recording of the proceedings at the meeting from an investor. VdDussen asked the chairman of the meeting for a turn to speak. Before he could do so, an investor said that he knew that VdDussen subscribed to Christian beliefs. He therefor requested VdDussen to put his hand on a Bible and promise that he would tell the truth.

 

VdDussen inter alia said the following:

 

"Things went wrong, but I will try to honour my obligations. I have a debt of honour, irrespective of the persons involved. I will defend myself against processes which were set in motion and which want to hold me responsible for the actions of others. I want to go ahead with that which I developed over years so that no one will suffer loss. Act in terms of your conscience and interest. Do not let others take you in tow. I have an obligation towrds everyone that is here and will try to honour it. I ask God's forgiveness. Without the advantage of hindsight I did what I thought was right. I neither ask your forgivesness or mercy nor your sympathy because we are experiencing hard times".

 

Next to speak was Geldenhuys. He inter alia said that: no minutes would be taken down, no rights of any person would be affected by the meeting, he himself was an investor and he was convinced that the scheme would succeed, there was no money available, domestic and international negotiations were under way to establish a financial services group, and if "they" did not succeed within the next six months "they" would never do so. The "they" referred to envisaged "strategic" domestic and international "partners".

 

The quality of the recording was poor and it was difficult to follow the questions and answers session that followed after Geldenhuys addressed the meeting.