Legal expert, Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi has voiced confidence in the ability of law enforcement officials to ensure the Gupta brothers are brought to South Africa to face prosecution.
Atul and Rajesh Gupta were arrested in Dubai earlier this month after a red Interpol notice was issued for the brothers who are wanted for corruption, fraud, and money laundering.
The State Capture Commission’s final reports which were handed to President Cyril Ramaphosa on Wednesday provided information on how the Guptas exerted unfair influence on government.
Ngcukaitobi says, “The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Department of Justice should now be working on a project to return the Guptas. They do have an extradition agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They should be enforcing that agreement. That too will take time but they need to start acting. Personally, I am confident that at a certain point in time, the group of people who were at the heart of state capture, according to the Zondo Commission report, they will come to SA and they will face the music.”
The report also says the former head of the Department of Agriculture in the Free State, Peter Thabethe failed to follow all procurement processes when the Vrede Dairy Farm was established.
It states that Thabethe together with his then Free State Agriculture MEC Mosebenzi Zwane played a pivotal role in driving the establishment and implementation of the Vrede Dairy Project.
It also confirms that in appointing Gupta-linked company – Estina – as an implementing and managing agent for the project, The report says Thabethe failed to comply with the department’s Supply Chain Management policy.
The Vrede Dairy Farm project was meant to benefit emerging farmers.
However, most of the 280 rand paid for the project allegedly ended up in the accounts of the Guptas.
