Former Eskom CEO Brian Molefe on Tuesday said he had never been involved in state looting.
"I've never been in a meeting to discuss the looting of state resources, anywhere," he told the parliamentary inquiry into state capture, responding to questions from MPs.
He said Eskom had dealings with Gupta companies -- such as Oakbay and Tegeta -- in the form of coal supply contracts, which had been entered into before he took up his post as CEO at the utility.
"I'm not aware that the Guptas or any of their companies have been blacklisted. They would have to be... before you could tell a company CEO you can't do business with the Guptas."
Molefe also admitted he had visited the Gupta family compound in the Johannesburg suburb Saxonwold, Johannesburg.
"I have never denied I have met the Guptas," he said.
"I have known them for some time... but that doesn't mean I've done anything wrong."
However, he strongly denied he had ever visited a shebeen in that suburb.
"I complained to the Press Ombudsman about the Sunday Times reporting that I was at the shebeen. The ombudsman asked the [newspaper] to apologise because I had not said I was at the shebeen."
To a question put to him by Natasha Mazzone, asking him if he knew Eskom was doing work with Trillian, he bluntly responded "No".