Net closes on former South African President Zuma's fugitive friends

Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – A high-level South African delegation has flown to Abu Dhabi in an attempt to persuade the United Arab Emirates to extradite the fugitive Gupta family which was heavily involved in a major corruption scandal which fleeced South Africa of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The three Gupta brothers  – Ajay, Atul and Rajesh – moved to South Africa from India in 1993 and began selling electronic equipment from their car in Johannesburg.

Within 20 years, they had set up a global empire after securing massive government contracts with the help of former President Jacob Zuma and his son Duduzane.

They fled to Dubai two years ago as the net was closing on them.

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola and National Prosecuting Authority boss Shamila Batohi are part of a delegation which is holding talks with the UAE government in an attempt to have the family repatriated.

Lamola in October requested the UAE to finalise the ratification of an extradition treaty. This was after sanctions were imposed on the fugitives by the United States Treasury.

In a statement, the US Department of State said the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control had “designated” the suspects for their involvement in corruption in South Africa “pursuant to executive order 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act”.

Lamola has confirmed that seven countries – India, the UAE, Canada, Switzerland, Mauritius, Hong Kong, the United States and China – have been asked to assist with the extradition of the Gupta brothers.

–0– PANA CU/MA 17Dec2019