No guarantee Gupta brothers will be extradited to SA to stand trial – Gungubele

Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele says there’s “no guarantee” that the Guptas will be extradited to South Africa to stand trial on corruption and state capture allegations.

“We don’t have that guarantee but [in] the relationship that occurs between us and the United Arab Emirates; one expects something better… I would be surprised if it does not lead to them coming here at all,” Gungubele said.

The minister was speaking on Thursday during a media briefing in Cape Town on the outcomes of Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

Guptas’ extradition

Alleged state capture fugitives, Rajesh and Atul Gupta, were arrested last Friday in Dubai by law enforcement authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

This followed red notices issued by Interpol for their capture in connection with fraud and money laundering charges in South Africa.

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Gungubele said Cabinet welcomed the progress being made on the extradition of the Gupta brothers to face trial over procurement fraud involving R24 million that was paid by the Free State government to Nulane Investments, a company owned and controlled by Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma.

The minister said the Guptas’ arrests – including that of five former senior Transnet executives last month – demonstrated government’s determination to fight crime and corruption.

“These arrests demonstrate that processes and mechanisms are working effectively to hold perpetrators accountable for their heinous actions and ensure that no one is above the law,” he said.

Complex process

However, Gungubele cautioned that the Guptas’ extradition would not be an easy process as the brothers were widely anticipated to fight their return to SA.

“I would also be surprised if they’re not arrested on the basis of exactly what they did in South Africa, but I wouldn’t say there’s a guarantee [they’ll be extradited] because that’s not a simple process,” he said.

Meanwhile, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Tuesday said the extradition process was complex and involved many role players, including the executive.

NPA spokesperson Mthunzi Mhaga said they would not discuss the details of that process in the media, but confirmed that they were engaging with relevant authorities in the UAE.

“The NPA has an experienced team of internal and external experts who are working closely with law enforcement and our partners in the criminal justice system on the matter,” Mhaga said.

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