DA lays criminal charges against Bank of Baroda, Duduzane, Guptas
The party has used an international investigation as the basis for serious criminal charges.
Natasha Mazzone, the Democratic Alliance Shadow Minister for Public Enterprises, speaks to the media outside Megawatt Park in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. Members of the DA, COPE and some private citizens protested the reinstatement of Brian Molefe as CEO of Eskom, who resigned under a cloud of suspicion earlier this year. 15 May 2017. Picture: Yeshiel Panchia
In a video tweet on Thursday morning, DA MP Natasha Mazzone explained that the party had laid charges of money laundering, infringements of the Financial Intelligence Act against two Gupta brothers, former president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane, Salim Essa and the Bank of Baroda.
She claimed they had strong evidence of money laundering between these individuals, their companies and the bank, which is trying to withdraw from South Africa.
Reports have suggested that as much as 40% of the Bank of Baroda’s South African business related directly to the Guptas.
The DA appears to be basing much of its complaint on a report from the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), an international investigative reporting platform formed by 40 non-profit investigative centres, scores of journalists and several major regional news organisations from around the globe.
The report they appear to be basing their case on can be read here.
Since 2009, the OCCRP’s reporting has led to, among other things, $5.735 billion in assets being frozen or seized by governments; 147 arrest warrants issued with several subjects on the run; 20 major sackings, including a president, prime minister and CEOs of major international corporations; and more than 1 400 company closures, indictments and court decisions.
WATCH: @Natasha9Mazzone has today laid charges against the Bank of Baroda, two of the #Gupta brothers, Salim Essa and Duduzane Zuma for money laundering and corruption following a report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Project. pic.twitter.com/5EUjHI40f9
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) March 8, 2018
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