Former public protector Thuli Madonsela and former President Thabo Mbeki had a confrontational interview last year in May.

They asked each other questions about government’s role back in the late 1990s in deciding what steps to take to recover monies given as illicit gifts to Bankorp (now Absa).

Two weeks ago, the Mail and Guardian exclusively reported that mega-bank Absa could be forced to pay R2.25‑billion to the fiscus for an unlawful apartheid-era bank bailout if the public protector’s preliminary report remains unchanged.

Last week, we reported on Mbeki’s interview with Madonsela. The former president was only one of many prominent figures to be interviewed in the investigation that has spanned five years.

Hear the interview for yourself:

17:00 – 21:30
Mbeki recalls how British intelligence officer Michael Oatley was commissioned to locate and recover the money.

24:20 – 25:10
Madonsela explains what Oatley told her about who might have escaped with the money.

29:20 – 29:40
Madonsela asks Mbeki why government didn’t recover the money.

30:03 -31:30
“Why did government decide not to recover this money?” asks Madonsela. Mbeki answers.

32:45 – 34:25
Madonsela speaks of her interview with Judge Dennis Davis

38:40 – 39:30
Mbeki says he doesn’t remember government having anything to do with bonds.

41:10 – 41:48
Madonsela asks Mbeki who the protector of government bonds is.

46:42 – 47:40
Advocate Marumo Moerane reads out a letter former Reserve Bank governor Tito Mboweni had written to Oatley.

47:55 – 50:40
Madonsela says government didn’t need Oatley anymore and could have decided on its own to recover the funds.

51:30 – 53:40
Mbeki explains how the destabilisation of financial markets was not going to happen.

1:04:04 – 1:06:10
Mbeki says he doesn’t see why Reverend Frank Chikane should be interviewed.

1:13:15 – 1:18:00
Madonsela speaks of her interview with Judge Willem Heath.

1:15:30 – 1:16:30
Moerane says the state should be absolved.

1:18:45 
Mbeki replies “the bank, the bank, mani, not government” when Madonsela asks him why the government did not make a decision on recovering the money.

1:25:10 -1:28:00
Mbeki speaks of how former Finance Minister Trevor Manuel and Mboweni may well explain why steps were not taken to recover the funds.

1:37:45 – 1:41:02
Mbeki explains why advice from advisers is not always taken because it is just advice.

.