India\u2019s Bank of Baroda objected to the freezing of some of its funds in South Africa after it was alleged to have helped transfer money meant for the development of a government-backed dairy farm to the politically connected Gupta family and their associates.<\/p>\n
The R30 million ($2.5 million) preservation order is wrong because the money due to clients had already been withdrawn and the attachment of an equal amount of the lender\u2019s own funds is \u201cunsustainable,\u201d Luke Spiller, a legal representative for the Bank of Baroda, said in the Free State province\u2019s High Court in Bloemfontein on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The court documents showed that other banks transferred cash to the same dairy farm but their money wasn\u2019t frozen, making the order against Bank of Baroda unfair, the lawyer said.<\/p>\n
The case is related to a state-owned farm in the Free State leased to Gupta-linked company Estina in 2012.<\/p>\n
The regional government agreed to help develop the land, but the High Court on Jan. 19 gave the National Prosecuting Authority permission to freeze the project\u2019s assets after more than R220 million destined for the farm was said to have been transferred to Atul Gupta, one of three brothers, and a number of companies and associates.<\/p>\n
Atul Gupta and businesses linked to his family have applied to the same court to reconsider the attachment of the assets. The Gupta family have close ties to former president Jacob Zuma and have been accused of using the association to win state business and influence government appointments.<\/p>\n
Zuma and the Guptas have denied wrongdoing.<\/p>\n
The crackdown on the dairy farm project came just weeks after South African President Cyril Ramaphosa replaced Zuma as head of the ruling African National Congress.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor\u2019s papers are \u201ca national embarrassment,\u201d Michael Hellens, a lawyer acting for a number of Gupta-linked companies including Oakbay Investments, said in the same court.<\/p>\n
The chief prosecutor failed to provide evidence that money destined for Estina went into accounts with the Bank of Baroda and then to the Guptas and their associates, he said.<\/p>\n
Closed Accounts<\/strong><\/p>\n The Bank of Baroda last year tried to close all accounts linked to the Gupta family after all other banks in South Africa had spurned their business. After a legal challenge the Indian lender wasn\u2019t able to terminate the accounts and said last month it was going to have to leave South Africa.<\/p>\n Lender Nedbank Group told Bank of Baroda at the end of January it would cut its ties after three months, Johannesburg-based Business Day newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing the most recent court filing of the South African head of Bank of Baroda, Manoj Kumar Jha.<\/p>\n Atul Gupta didn\u2019t appear in Bloemfontein on Thursday and has previously denied in court documents that cash meant for the development of the dairy farm was transferred to his private bank accounts.<\/p>\n Eight people accused in the case appeared in court last month and were granted bail. They were arrested on charges of fraud and theft related to the project.<\/p>\n Atul Gupta and his brothers weren\u2019t among those arrested. Ajay, one of the siblings, was seen leaving the country, bound for Dubai, on Feb. 6, and was spotted in India last month, according to the Times of India. South African police have declared him a fugitive from justice.<\/p>\n
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