South Africa said Friday it had learnt with “shock and dismay” that the United Arab Emirates had turned down its request to extradite two brothers accused of orchestrating industrial-scale corruption.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said the government was notified on Thursday evening of a Dubai court decision not to allow for the extradition of business tycoons Atul and Rajesh Gupta.
“We learnt with shock and dismay that the extradition hearing had been concluded in the Dubai Court on the 13 February 2023 and our extradition request was unsuccessful,” Lamola said in a statement.
The Guptas are alleged to have colluded with former president Jacob Zuma to siphon off state assets from South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy.
ADVERTISEMENT
UAE rejects Gupta brothers’ extradition, South Africa dismayed
FRIDAY APRIL 07 2023
Indian businessmen Ajay Gupta (left) and younger brother Atul Gupta who are accused of corruption in South Africa. South Africa said Friday it had learnt with “shock and dismay” that the United Arab Emirates had turned down its request to extradite the two. PHOTO | FILE | AFP
Summary
- South Africa was notified on Thursday evening of a Dubai court decision not to allow for the extradition.
- Justice Minister Lamola said the extradition was denied on a technicality.
- The Guptas are alleged to have colluded with former president Jacob Zuma to siphon off state assets from South Africa.
- South Africa filed the extradition request in July last year after the two were arrested in Dubai a month earlier.
ADVERTISEMENT
By AFP
Johannesburg
South Africa said Friday it had learnt with “shock and dismay” that the United Arab Emirates had turned down its request to extradite two brothers accused of orchestrating industrial-scale corruption.
Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said the government was notified on Thursday evening of a Dubai court decision not to allow for the extradition of business tycoons Atul and Rajesh Gupta.
“We learnt with shock and dismay that the extradition hearing had been concluded in the Dubai Court on the 13 February 2023 and our extradition request was unsuccessful,” Lamola said in a statement.
The Guptas are alleged to have colluded with former president Jacob Zuma to siphon off state assets from South Africa, the continent’s most advanced economy.
Extradition request
Related
- Graft case: Extraditing Gupta brothers to S. Africa could take years
- Gupta brothers face extradition to South Africa over graft case
ADVERTISEMENT
South Africa filed the extradition request in July last year after the two were arrested in Dubai a month earlier.
The arrests followed the inking of an extradition treaty between Pretoria and the UAE.
The ultra-wealthy brothers ran a sprawling family business empire in South Africa for more than two decades after migrating from India.
Read more at www.theeastafrican.co.ke
Photo:www.theeastafrican.co.ke, PHOTO | FILE | AFP
Leave a Reply