Johannesburg – The Pretoria Magistrate’s Court has transferred the Estina dairy farm case to the regional court on Friday.
The case that involves two associates of the Gupta brothers, Kamal Vasram and Saliesh Indurjeeth, will be heard on 9 March at the Pretoria regional court.
The duo face charges linked to the failed Free State Estina project, which was aimed at empowering Free State farmers through a dairy project worth millions of rands.
Their matter has been postponed for the disclosing of the case docket as well as for their attorneys’ financial instructions and instructions on the merits of the case.
The pair face charges of fraud, contravention of Section 54(1)(A) of the International Trade Administration Act and Contravention of Regulation 22 of the Exchange Control Act- charges arising from a joint investigation by SARS and the Investigating Directorate. The investigation revealed that Estina submitted customs clearance documents (SAD 500 and invoice), in support of a VAT refund claim. The customs declaration was then scrutinised whereupon the declared value of over R37,7 million for a so-called “NEW” pasteurization plant was suspected to be excessively high. The suspected overpriced pasteurization plant, which was imported from India, was rather invoiced to Estina by Gateway Limited in the United Arab Emirates,” said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Independent Directorate spokesperson, Sindisiwe Seboka.
She added that the evidence suggests that Gateway was used and controlled by the Guptas, as a tool to launder money and to extract funds from South Africa.
“The state further alleges that the overstated or inflated value was intentionally and unlawfully used by Estina and its sole director-Vasram to launder funds from South Africa to the prejudice of the taxpaying public in general,” she said.
Ten years after the Vrede dairy farm project was conceptualized to uplift black farmers, last month marked a bitter-sweet moment for the beneficiaries of the controversial project.
The Estina farm project in the Free State was, according to the evidence before the Zondo Commission, hijacked by the notorious Gupta family with the assistance of senior government officials.
Last month, 65 beneficiaries of the Estina dairy farm had their moment of glory and celebrated when the premier of Free State, Sisi Ntombela, handed the farm over to them.
The project, which is now called the Vrede Integrated Farming Trust, will see beneficiaries reap the rewards as shareholders, where they will be in charge of 583 newly bought dairy and beef cattle, nine horses, cultivated pastured crops, maize, soya beans, and vegetables on the 2 094-hectare farms in the outskirts of the sleepy town of Vrede.
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