South Africa on Monday formally asked the United Arab Emirates to extradite two Gupta brothers accused of involvement in corruption deals in the country´s industrial sector.
Two businessmen, Atul and Rajesh Gupta, were arrested in June in Dubai , who are wanted on fraud and money laundering charges. The arrest warrant mentions in particular a controversial public contract worth up to 1.5 million euros, linked to an economic feasibility study related to agriculture. This is a small charge compared to the size of the charges against the family.
The brothers are also accused of widespread looting of the institutions of the most industrially advanced African state, with the complicity of former President Jacob Zuma.
"We can confirm that the extradition request was duly submitted to the central authority in the UAE today," Justice Minister Ronald Lamola told a press conference.
This request constitutes the first stage of a mechanism that could last for years, according to experts.
The third brother, Ajay, is not involved in this case but is mentioned in another fraud and corruption case.
The three brothers are of Indian origin, accused of controlling the state, taking advantage of a long-standing friendship with Jacob Zuma, who paid him bribes in his two states (2009-2018). They went so far as to systematically loot state coffers and plunder public companies, and extended their grip to the point of influencing government appointments.
In 2018, an independent commission was tasked with investigating state corruption. The African National Congress pushed Zuma to submit his resignation. The Gupta brothers disappeared before they were found in Dubai.
