By John Ikani
Two wealthy Indian-born business brothers who were allegedly at the centre of a massive web of state corruption in South Africa have been arrested in Dubai, Pretoria announced on Monday.
The Indian-born brothers Rajesh and Atul Gupta are friends of former South Africa President Jacob Zuma.
They are accused in South Africa of using their connections to Zuma to profit financially and influence ministerial appointments.
The duo were detained by UAE law-enforcement authorities and discussions are taking place on the way forward, South Africa’s Justice Ministry said in a statement on Monday.
A judicial inquiry into state graft spanning more than three years detailed close links between the brothers and former President Jacob Zuma, with numerous witnesses alleging that they worked hand-in-hand to siphon money out of state transport, power and arms companies and jointly decided who was appointed to the cabinet.
The government has said at least 500 billion rand ($32 billion) was stolen during Zuma’s nine-year rule.
Their arrests came almost a year after Interpol issued a red notice last July. Red notices are a global alert enabling law enforcement to arrest a person sought for prosecution or to serve a custodial sentence and detain them pending extradition.
The organization said the Gupta brothers were being sought for fraud and money laundering in connection with a 25-million rand ($1.6 million, €1.5 million) contract paid to a Gupta-linked company.
“Discussions between various law enforcement agencies in the UAE and South Africa on the way forward are ongoing,” said the ministry.
The Guptas came to South Africa in 1993 to build a sprawling business empire in mining, computer technology and media.
They had been granted South African citizenship but fled the country shortly after a judicial commission investigating corruption started in 2018.
After four years of investigations, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo compiled a report revealing how the brothers became enmeshed with the highest levels of government and the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
In a series of reports being published this year, the investigators said procurement contracts at the proprietor of all rail, ports and pipelines amounted to “planned offences of racketeering activity conducted by a racketeering enterprise” linked to the Guptas.
The investigators also concluded that Zuma “would do anything that the Guptas wanted him to do for them”.
The corruption scandals engulfing Zuma led to his downfall. He was forced to resign in 2018.
Zuma was last year jailed for 15 months for refusing to testify before the investigators. He was released on parole, having served just two months of the term.
