Guptas could face 30 years in jail or fines of up to R100 million: report
The three Gupta brothers, Atul, Rajesh and Ajay, along with mineral resources minister Mosebenzi Zwane could be charged in the coming weeks in what would become the first state capture case to be prosecuted.
According to a report by the Sunday Times, the case will focus on the Vrede dairy project which saw the group allegedly siphon R220 million meant to benefit poor farmers.
As a result, the Guptas, Zwane and a number of their associates will face three charges:
- money laundering;
- assisting others to benefit from unlawful activities;
- the acquisition and possession of proceeds of unlawful activities.
Each count carries a prison sentence of up to 30 years or a fine of up to R100 million, the Sunday Times said.
The Vrede case is expected to be the first of many, with investigators said to be gathering evidence on the Guptas’ previous media holdings, the New Age newspaper and ANN7, as well as a number of mines which the Gupta’s are alleged to have illegally obtained.
“Once we have this in the bag we will go after everything else. We are working in phases. We will recover all the money stolen,” a source told the paper.
“The Hawks and the SA Police Service are working closely with National Prosecuting Authority [NPA],” another source told City Press.
“The arrests are a done deal. It is just a matter of when.”
A senior Hawks source told City Press last week that arrest warrants had already been issued.
Nowhere to go
The Sunday Times also reported that South African law enforcement authorities have obtained co-operation agreements with the Indian, British and United Arab Emirates governments.
This means that the brothers could still face the charges and have their assets tracked, despite reportedly having fled to India late last year.
“We have surrounded the Guptas and they have nowhere to go,” said a senior police official with intimate knowledge of the investigations.
“They have been kept under watch by our counterparts everywhere and we have made good progress on tracing the monies that went out of South Africa.”
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