Atul Gupta Challenges Court Order to Freeze Assets in South Africa

Atul Gupta, one of three brothers who are being probed for alleged “state capture” in South Africa, has challenged the court order freezing 10 million rand ($859,025) in his bank account, Reuters reported.

As a part of the investigation into the Gupta brothers’ alleged links with former President Jacob Zuma, South African prosecutors were authorized to freeze the 10 million that was apparently an illegal transfer to Atul Gupta’s bank account. The Gupta brothers and Zuma have denied any wrongdoing.

In court papers filed in the Free State province, Atul Gupta said he was “currently outside South Africa” and refuted the prosecution’s allegations of receiving 10 million rand . The affidavit attached to the court papers was signed on Feb. 8 at the South African consulate in Dubai, according to the news agency report. A spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority verified the veracity of the court papers to Reuters. The prosecution will dispute Atul Gupta’s challenge in court.

The police are looking for Ajay Gupta, another one of Gupta brothers, who has been called a fugitive from justice, as part of their probe into fraud in state-backed Estina dairy project in Free State province. Ajay Gupta reportedly attended a wedding in Agra and arrived in Dehradun on Feb. 13, according to the Times of India. He stayed at his family’s “palatial bungalow” till Feb. 16, although he was originally supposed to leave on Feb.18. He cut his stay short after Zuma’s resignation and left in a helicopter to the airport, escorted by the local police. He left for undisclosed location, the report said.

“As far as the developments in South Africa are concerned, we have to date received no intimation from the South African embassy or police regarding anything related to the Gupta brothers. Since the family is a Z-category protectee, they inform the district police whenever they are visiting Dehradun and a security cover is arranged for them,” the Times of India quoted an official as saying.

Last week, South Africa’s elite police unit Hawks raided several Gupta properties in Johannesburg. The relationship between former South African President Jacob Zuma and the Gupta family is under the judicial scanner for an inquiry into high state-level corruption.

The judiciary will look into allegations of “influence peddling” — whether the Guptas sought to influence the appointment of cabinet ministers and were unlawfully awarded state tenders.

South Africa’s new president Cyril Ramaphosa has the fight against corruption on his top agenda.