Gold Fields on Wednesday confirmed that its social and ethics committee had started conducting investigations into its black economic empowerment (BEE) deals.

The JSE-listed R54 billion ($6 billion) gold mining giant had taken this action after mounting press reports that raised questions about the authenticity of its BEE deals.

The company confirmed that its board had engaged an independent, highly regarded international law firm, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, LLP (Paul Weiss) to undertake the investigation.

The law firm, which has extensive experience in such matters, has been asked to determine the facts of these media claims and provide recommendations to the board.

Gold Fields has also asked the law firm to review the company’s relevant internal controls and recommend any necessary improvements.

Gold Fields will report further on this matter once investigations have been concluded.

According to BDLive, the South African government had rail-roaded an empowerment deal involving Invictus Gold by threatening to withhold the mining permit from Gold Fields.

“The South African government had shoved the list of some of Invictus Gold’s black economic empowerment shareholders down Gold Fields’ throat, with an ultimatum that if the preferred names were not taken on board it would be denied a mining licence,” former chairman of Gold Fields, Dr Mamphele Ramphele, reportedly told BDLive in an interview. BDLive ran the story yesterday.

But Gold Fields distanced itself from comments by Ramphele, saying the R54bn gold company had not agreed to government-nominated empowerment partners for its South Deep mine.

Gold Fields said its fundamental values included acting with fairness, integrity, honesty, transparency and obeying the rules, regulations and laws that govern it.

“Gold Fields’ pursuit of this investigation reflects its commitment to strict compliance with the laws to which it is subject and to its Code of Ethics,” it said in a statement.

It said it valued and respected the services to the company of its former chair Ramphele. Gold Fields said during her tenure Ramphele strongly supported the board’s decision to commission an independent investigation.

“Statements attributed in press reports yesterday to Ramphele represent her own personal views,” the gold miner said.

Ramphele resigned from Gold Fields as chairman last month top for her own “political party platform,” Aganang.