UAE court rejects South Africa’s plea to extradite Gupta brothers

A United Arab Emirates court has
dismissed South Africa’s request to extradite Atul and Rajesh
Gupta, brothers who face charges of political corruption.

South Africa received diplomatic communication from the UAE on April 6 that a UAE court had made the decision on February 13, Justice Minister Ronald Lamola said on Friday.

“In the evening of the 6th of April 2023, we were provided
with a note verbale from the UAE in which we learnt with shock
and dismay that an extradition hearing had been concluded in the
UAE courts on the 13th of February 2023 and our extradition
request was unsuccessful,” Lamola told reporters.

The Guptas are accused of using their connections with Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa from 2009 to 2018, to win contracts, influence cabinet appointments and siphon off state funds.

Zuma and the Guptas have denied all wrongdoing.

The court had ruled that the UAE had jurisdiction to
prosecute the Guptas for money-laundering offences alleged to
have been committed in the UAE and South Africa, Lamola said.

He added that South Africa would “promptly appeal” the
decision, which he said “flies in the face of assurances given
by the UAE authorities”.

‘National embarrassment’

In a statement, South Africa’s main opposition Democratic
Alliance party said the failed extradition bid was a “national
embarrassment” and called for the Ministry of Justice and National
Prosecuting Authority to appear before Parliament’s portfolio
committee on justice over the development.

The Indian-born brothers left South Africa after Zuma was
unseated in 2018.

A judicial inquiry established the same year
to examine allegations of graft during Zuma’s years in power has
recommended criminal charges against the Guptas.

The UAE ratified an extradition treaty with South Africa in
April 2021, a move South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s
government had hoped would lead to the return of the Guptas to
face charges.

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