Cellphone evidence puts Des van Rooyen in the home of the Guptas on the night before former finance minister Nhlanla Nene was sacked and he was given the job‚ the BBC reported on Friday.

It said that the “damning … evidence is a key part” of Public Protector Thuli Madonsela “investigation into so-called state capture‚ which President Jacob Zuma is trying to suppress”.

The BBC story emerged as Van Rooyen – the finance minster for five days in December before being replaced by Pravin Gordhan after a market collapse – approached the North Gauteng High Court to get an interdict preventing Madonsela issuing her findings.

The report said “sources close to Madonsela say evidence gathered from cellphones show that the man chosen to succeed a popular finance minister who was dramatically sacked last year‚ had spent the previous evening at the home of the Guptas – a wealthy Indian business family alleged to wield influence over the president”.

The BBC report went on to say “recordings allegedly reveal that the night before … Nene was sacked last December‚ the man who was selected to succeed him was drinking tea with the Guptas at their home in Johannesburg”.

Madonsela’s counsel‚ Azhar Bham SC‚ said in court on Friday that while her state capture report had been finalised and signed‚ she would not be releasing it as planned as a “courtesy to the court”.

After four opposition parties approached the court to oppose Van Rooyen’s move‚ Judge Dawie Fourie suggested the matter be stood down until next week so it could be heard with Zuma’s application.

– TMG Digital