BRITISH billionaire Sir Richard Branson has denied putting together a US$10 million fund to buy President Robert Mugabe out of power.

The Daily News on Sunday claimed the money was part of Branson’s 2007 plan to persuade Mugabe to step down and "safeguard his proud legacy" with the help of Nelson Mandela and other African statesmen.

"It was never discussed,” Branson told Britain’s Independent newspaper on Friday when asked about the financial offer. “It would have been cheap at the price, but it just happens not to be true.”

Leaked United States embassy cables from Pretoria reveal how Branson made contact with former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo, who was to advise Branson’s ‘Elders’ panel on how to approach Mugabe.

Moyo admitted to New Zimbabwe.com on Wednesday that he had a chance meeting with Branson at the Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg in April 2007, and the two men had a more than hour-long discussion on the plan to ease Mugabe out of power. Moyo was an independent MP at the time after he was kicked out of Zanu PF.

The Tsholotsho North MP said he later introduced Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono to Branson, although the latter later pulled out of the July 2007 launch of the Elders panel.

Moyo, according to the cable classified by the former US ambassador to South Africa Eric Bost, advised the elders to urge Mugabe to support a new constitution, which would include “watertight” provisions on his immunity from prosecution and allow for a truth and reconciliation process.

He says he was labelled a Mugabe loyalist and had his advice rejected after he proposed that Branson drops Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, Graca Machel, Jimmy Carter and Mary Robinson from the panel and instead engage former African heads of state whom Mugabe respected, including Daniel Arap Moi, Kenneth Kaunda, Joaquim Chissano, Sam Nujoma, Ketumile Masire and Jerry Rawlings.

Branson, however, told the Independent that he did not remember meeting Moyo first and thought the man he met at the airport was Gono.

"I remember meeting Gideon Gono at an airport," Sir Richard said."I can't remember whether I also met Moyo then. Maybe they were together... We did later meet [Moyo], and we did put him up in Johannesburg for a few days, but we decided not to continue with him."

On Friday, Moyo said: “I am pleased that Sir Richard just about confirms everything that I have said about this initiative, except that he can’t remember whether he met me or Gono, or whether the two of us were at the airport.

“I am not sure whether that’s just a memory weakness or a cover-up. But whatever it is, it reminds me of racists in the American south who suffer from the folly that all black people look the same.”

Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson has expressed alarm that journalist-turned American informer Sydney Masamvu, whose name is listed in dozens of cables with instructions to “strictly protect”, was able to get hold of his emails exchanged with Moyo which were used as the source of Ambassador Bost’s cable.

The Independent said the Virgin boss was “troubled” by the interception of his emails by Masamvu, who has gained access to many government officials in the SADC region while wearing his other hat of researcher and political analyst for US-sponsored NGOs in South Africa.

“Obviously, they must be listening in, or doing something. I have no idea how they got them. I've no idea how it happened," he said.