Two wealthy Indian-born business brothers who were allegedly at the center of a massive network of state corruption in South Africa have been arrested in Dubai, Pretoria announced on Monday.
The arrests came as a result of an investigation into the mass looting of state institutions during the time of former President Jacob Zuma.
The South African Ministry of Justice “confirms that it has received information from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) police authorities that they have been arrested as fugitives from justice, namely Rajesh and Atul Gupta,” he said.
The brothers are allegedly at the center of a corruption scandal that has plagued Zuma’s nine-year administration until 2018. They have been accused of paying bribes in exchange for lucrative state contracts and influence in ministerial appointments. .
Atul Gupta in Johannesburg in 2011. Photo: Gallo Images / Getty Images
His arrests came almost a year after Interpol issued a red warning last July. The red warnings are a global alert that allows law enforcement to arrest a wanted person for trial or serve a prison sentence and arrest him while awaiting extradition.
“Discussions between various UAE and South African law enforcement agencies on the way forward are ongoing,” the ministry said.
The Guptas arrived in South Africa in 1993 to build an expanding business empire in mining, computer technology, and media. They had been granted South African citizenship, but fled the country shortly after a judicial commission investigating corruption began in 2018.
After four years of investigation, Chief Justice Raymond Zondo compiled a report revealing how the brothers hooked up with the highest levels of government and the ruling African National Congress (ANC).
In a series of reports released this year, investigators said contracts to hire the owner of all railroads, ports and pipelines amount to “planned crimes of exhibition activities carried out by an extortionist company.” to the Guptas.
The investigators also concluded that Zuma “would do anything the Guptas wanted him to do for them.”
The corruption scandals that engulfed Zuma caused it to fall apart. In 2018 he was forced to resign.
Zuma was sentenced last year to 15 months in prison for refusing to testify before investigators. He was released on parole after serving just two months in prison.
In July last year, Interpol said the Gupta brothers were being sought for fraud and money laundering in connection with a 25 million rand (£ 1.3 million) contract paid to a Gupta-linked company. , Nulane Investment, to conduct an agricultural feasibility study.