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The
attorney representing airline Velvet Sky in a
liquidation application it faces withdrew from the
case on Tuesday.
"I have
just signed a notice of withdrawal," said
Ahmed Amod
ahead of the application set down for Wednesday in
the High Court in Pietermaritzburg.
He cited
personal reasons.
BP Southern
Africa has filed papers for the liquidation of the
airline which has been flying for less than a year,
because it is allegedly in arrears on its fuel bill.
On February 24
BP Southern Africa applied to the court for the
provisional liquidation of the airline, which
allegedly owes BP R29m for aviation fuel.
Argument is
expected on Wednesday. Amod said he was still a
director of the airline.
On Monday, the
liquidators of Pamodzi Gold Mining Group announced
they planned to lay charges of fraud against Amod,
who is also a lawyer for Aurora Empowerment Systems,
the company appointed to manage the mine.
Liquidator Johan Engelbrecht said the charges would
also be laid against former president
Nelson Mandela's
grandson
Zondwa Mandela.
Aurora's
management contract was cancelled after the company
was accused of destroying infrastructure at the
mines. Over 5 000 people lost their jobs.
Amod said he
had not been informed of the planned charges and
Velvet Sky chief operating officer Gary Webb said
earlier on Tuesday he was not aware that Amod might
be charged.
He was feeling
hopeful about the BP challenge on Wednesday, he
said.
"We are
obviously in the hands of the court, but we are
optimistic about the outcome there," said Webb.
"It will take
a couple of days to get ourselves back on our feet,"
he said when asked when the airline expected to fly
again.
The airline
suspended flights last Monday, and customers with
tickets do not know if they will get refunds or be
able to reschedule their bookings.
Velvet Sky's
first flight left OR Tambo International Airport on
March 22 2011. A few months later it was sold by
Macdonald Holdings to Excalibur Aerospace.
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