A group of people protest outside the United Arab Emirates' (UAE) embassy calling for the speedy extradition of the Guptas on June 10, 2021 in Pretoria. Photo: Gallo mages/Beeld/Deaan Vivier
More than 36 hours after the arrests of the fugitives from justice, there is still no indication of whether progress has been made in extraditing the Gupta brothers back to South Africa.
Rajesh and Atul Gupta were handcuffed in Dubai on Monday, making headlines in South Africa and abroad.
The brothers’ arrest comes following an Interpol red notice which was issued last year for the friends of former President Jacob Zuma, who were wanted for widespread graft, fraud, and money laundering.
Their arrests have been lauded after they were implicated by several witnesses at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture – chaired by Chief Justice Raymond Zondo – for the looting of billions of rands from South African coffers
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Corruption Watch executive director Karam Singh told SAFM while the arrest of the Gupta brothers is exciting, there may be a long road ahead before (or if) they will be brought back to South Africa.
“The Guptas would have access to the legal system in the UAE to try to get bail, to try to use every legal manoeuvre available to them to avoid extradition.
“So, it’s inconceivable that this could be still drawn out prior to them actually arriving back in the country”.
Karam said action must be taken against all those associated with the Gupta brothers.
“Now we need to see the companies that were involved blacklisted, the officials involved removed from their positions and those that were involved in criminal conduct arrested and prosecuted and, where possible, the stolen money forfeited and seized.”
With the arrest of the brothers, political analyst Dr Ralph Mathekga told The Citizen on Tuesday that Zuma should be very worried.
“When they are here, they will take down the entire ANC because if you can bring them here and make sure that they are being prosecuted, they will have to speak the truth and it is a dangerous thing for the ANC.”
Mathekga also told The Citizen the arrest of the fugitives from justice may be closely related to the storm surrounding President Cyril Ramaphosa over his $4 million Phala Phala game farm robbery.
ALSO READ: Zuma and entire ANC must be sweating bullets after Gupta brothers’ arrest
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