International reports indicate Atul and Rajesh Gupta, wanted in South Africa for several financial crimes, were cleared to trot the globe after the UAE declined South Africa’s extradition request based on a shocking legal loophole.
Atul and Rajesh Gupta extradition: UAE court declines SA govt request
In an explosive report, Bloomberg revealed that a court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied South Africa’s plea to extradite Atul and Rajesh Gupta, who are wanted in their home country on charges of money laundering and fraud.
The brothers were arrested in June 2022 and in the beginning, the South African government, with the assistance of top lawyers, was confident in towing the extradition process over the line.
“The application, submitted in both English and Arabic, addresses the general requirements for extradition which, if met, would allow the extradition to be granted under either the existing Extradition Treaty or the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), or both,” NPA boss Shamila Batohi said at the time.
However, according to reports that surfaced on Thursday, not only were the Gupta brothers recently spotted in Switzerland but the UAE has dismissed South Africa’s extradition request on a gob-smacking technicality.
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The court noted that the Gupta brothers are citizens of Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation, and therefore not subject to extradition to South Africa. This is despite reports that Atul and Rajesh have been using South African passports to travel Europe and other parts of the world.
While South Africa’s justice ministry has yet to surface with a formal statement on the shocking developments around Atul and Rajesh Gupta’s extradition outcome, Minister Ronald Lamola did express shock in the UAE’s decision, which he revealed was made back in February 2023.
The Gupta brothers have been at the center of corruption allegations in South Africa for several years.
They have been accused of using their close relationship with former South African President Jacob Zuma to influence government contracts and secure favorable deals for their companies.
The so-called “state capture” scandal has implicated several high-profile individuals in South Africa and has led to calls for greater accountability and transparency in government
The Guptas left South Africa in 2018 amid a flurry of corruption allegations and have since been based in Dubai. The news of the court’s decision has been met with disappointment in South Africa, where the Guptas are seen as emblematic of the country’s ongoing struggle with corruption.
Here are some of the reactions to the news:
