Johannesburg – The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has approached the International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol to assist it with executing the warrants of arrests for some members of the notorious Gupta family.
The NPA in a statement said it wanted the international agency to help it apprehend Atul Gupta and his wife, Chetali.
The entity also wants Rajesh Gupta and his wife Arti arrested over the looting of millions of rand from the Vrede dairy farm, in the Free State.
Gupta family associate and businessman Iqbal Sharma on Thursday appeared in court alongside Peter Thabethe and Limakatso Moorosi, who are former heads of the department of agriculture in the Free State, and Seipati Dlamini, who was the department’s financial officer.
The four were charged with alleged corruption in a project linked to the Estina Dairy Farm project.
The indictment also lists the Gupta brothers who have fled the country. The NPA’s Investigating Directorate head Hermione Cronje said the modus operandi used in the Estina case appeared to have been replicated in other government departments and projects.
“It is for this reason that prosecutors have decided to proceed separately against the accused currently in the country and those abroad, as the process of arrest and extradition may unduly delay the trial,” she said. Paul Edward Holden, a researcher employed by Shadow World Investigations, told the State Capture Inquiry last week that the government spent R49 billion on contracts with the Gupta family. Holden also added that the contracts could be termed as irregular or state capture.
ID: Arrest warrants issued for the Guptas; Interpol requested to execute. Meanwhile, businessman Iqbal Sharma & former Free State senior government officials appeared before court, charged for corruption related to Vrede dairy farm.#DealingWithStateCapture pic.twitter.com/gDKlfCWP7p
— NPASouthAfrica (@NPA_Prosecutes) June 3, 2021
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