There is no guarantee that the Gupta brothers will be extradited to South Africa following their arrest in Dubai on Monday, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele confirmed on Thursday, stating that the extradition process is complex.
Gungubele, who held a post-cabinet media briefing on Thursday morning, said the extradition talks between South Africa and Dubai are under way and hinted that the process of extraditing the brothers would not be an easy one.
He said the only hope is that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Interpol will work with South Africa to have the Guptas brought back to the country.
Although he could not guarantee extradition, the minister said the arrest of the Gupta brothers shows the government’s determination to fight crime and corruption “without fear or favour”.
“Discussions between law-enforcement agencies in the UAE and South Africa on their extradition are under way. Their arrest demonstrates the government’s determination to fight crime and corruption without fear or favour,” he said.
Two of the three infamous Gupta brothers, Rajesh and Atul, were nabbed in the UAE on charges including money-laundering.
The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services said the department was notified by the law-enforcement authorities in the UAE that the fugitives had been arrested. It remains unclear why Ajay, one of the trio, is not behind bars.
The Guptas escaped to Dubai after they were implicated in looting billions of rands in South Africa during former president Jacob Zuma’s reign.
They were the kingpins of state capture and the Zondo Commission, headed by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo, found them to have been central in the looting of billions of rand, mainly from state-owned enterprises.
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