By David Dolan and Ed Stoddard
Reuters
South African bullion producer Gold Fields said on Tuesday it was being investigated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over a $210 million black empowerment deal involving a senior member of the ruling party.
Gold Fields, which is also listed in the United States and so subject to scrutiny from U.S. regulators, said in a statement it was being probed over the 2010 deal and the granting of a mining license for its South Deep mine near Johannesburg.
The 2.1 billion rand ($210 million) transaction saw Gold Fields give a 9 percent stake in South Deep to a group of black investors to meet government targets for black economic empowerment (BEE), including black ownership.