"My downfall as South Africa's leading auctioneer
started with the Quoin Rock (wine estate) auction... that went pear-shaped. I
made some mistakes at that auction and I am sincerely sorry about them,"
he said in an email to the Sunday Times newspaper.
"I was the country's most high-profile auctioneer and I
have taken the brunt for an entire industry."
Levitt, who declined to disclose his whereabouts, said he
was battling to come to terms with the demise of an empire he built selling
property on the Cape Flats.
"The public has focused on ghost bidding as if it was
unique to me... 'Ghost' or vendor bidding happens every day, in every way in
every auction across the globe from venerable art auctions in London, to real
estate auctions in Sydney and cattle auctions in Texas," he said.
It is the first time Levitt has spoken since Auction
Alliance was found guilty of contravening the Consumer Protection Act during
the auction of Dave King's Quoin Rock wine estate to billionaire Wendy
Appelbaum for R55m.
He said the Quoin Rock auction had hurt Auction Alliance.
"Auction Alliance is slowly winding down. It is fully
solvent, it is still operating but the negative media has made its long-term
future unsustainable," Levitt said.
"Yes, we made mistakes. Yes, I made mistakes. But we
employed hundreds of people. Good people... I am deeply saddened about the job
losses.
"I left Auction Alliance because I thought that I could
save the business by freeing it from the negative media that was engulfing
me."
He said the day he left the company was the "saddest of
my life".
"I loved that business more than I should have and
walking away was the most painful decision I have ever made," Levitt said.
"I have stumbled and fallen but I still have great
faith in the future of the auction business in South Africa. Sadly, I will not
be part of it."
An application for an arrest warrant for Levitt was rejected
by the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Thursday.
Last week, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) threatened
to have Levitt arrested if he failed to appear at a hearing on Tuesday. He
failed to appear at the last three NCC hearings.
The commission ruled on the Appelbaum matter last Thursday,
finding Levitt guilty of bid rigging and fraud. It sentenced him to 12 months
in jail or a R1m fine.
Levitt told the Sunday Times that he had "travelled
extensively" to the United States and Israel over the past the few months.
"I needed a break after all the negative events in February and March and I will be back in South Africa soon."