South Africa's finance minister gave damning testimony Wednesday against former president Jacob Zuma, accusing him of pushing policies designed to benefit the wealthy family at the heart of a government corruption scandal.
Nhlanhla Nene was sacked by Zuma in 2015 in a move that shocked many South Africans and foreign investors as allegations grew that Zuma and the Gupta family were overseeing rampant state corruption.
The Gupta brothers are accused of fraudulently profiting from vast government contracts and energy and transport deals under Zuma, who was ousted earlier this year by the ruling ANC party.
Nene was re-appointed as finance minister by the new president, Cyril Ramaphosa, who has vowed to crack down on graft and to revive growth in South Africa, the continent's most advanced economy.
"I do believe that I was removed from office due to my refusal to toe the line in relation to certain projects," Nene told a judicial inquiry into state corruption.
"Those projects may have benefitted the Gupta family and other close associates of the then president... for instance the nuclear deal and the SAA (South African Airways) strategy."
Nene told the inquiry that he met Jonas on a balcony to avoid being bugged by the intelligence services, saying "even when you look at a flower pot, you are not sure."
"This is a very serious issue in our country, the whole country wants to know what happened."