Ahmed Kathrada Foundation calls for speedy extradition of Guptas

The organisation is calling for the extradition of the Guptas from the United Arab Emirates to be finalised. 

The UAE this week confirmed the ratification of its extradition treaty with South Africa. 

The ratification came after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) approached Interpol to assist in the execution of warrants of arrests for Atul Gupta, his wife Chetali, Rajesh Gupta, his wife Artie, and four others.  

The NPA wants the Gupta brothers, who fled South Africa in 2018, to be arrested and charged with fraud of R24 million related to the Free State Department of Agriculture.

Alleged Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma was denied bail on Tuesday in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court.  

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation’s Neeshan Balton says the UAE government should cooperate with SA to ensure a speedy extradition process. 

“Now that there has been formal charges laid against the Guptas,  we think there is a greater possibilityof them being arrested and brought back to the country to stand trial.

“The picket is to hand over a memorandum to the UAE ambassador calling for a speedy implementation of the agreement between the UAE and South Africa as well as for the UAE government to cooperate with the SA government to ensure that whatever efforts the Guptas have in the UAE is similarly eased as it was done in SA.”

Balton also believes there is a greater need for transparency from government.

“We also call for the government to be transparent in all that needs to be done especially in terms of providing the South African public with dates as to when we can expect this family to be brought back to the country and hopefully, they will be brought back to the Waterkloof airport as it signals to south Africans that this family is bad news to the country.”

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