Gupta Brothers’ Assets to be Frozen in South Africa Over Corruption Scandal

The Opposition in South Africa has made calls to ensure that the under-scrutiny Gupta brothers don’t leave the country before their imminent arrest over charges of corruption and state capture. The whereabouts of the three brothers are unknown, Xinhua reported.

The opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) made the comments after a news report on Jan. 15 said that warrants of arrest for at least one of the Gupta brothers and a few associates of the family are being prepared by The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Two companies, multinational consultancy McKinsey and local company Trillian, linked to the Guptas, were summoned on Jan. 16 by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of NPA. They are also preparing to serve a summon to the Gupta family to freeze their assets worth R1.6-billion under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.

The DA said that the Guptas shouldn’t flee the country with the help of the government. The businesses of the Gupta brothers — Ajay, Rajesh and Atul — are also linked to President Jacob Zuma and other senior politicians like Minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane.

“Our borders should be urgently secured to prevent the Guptas from slipping through the net. It is unlikely that the Gupta family will sit and wait for their arrest,” DA leader Mmusi Maimane said, according to the news agency. “There is a strong possibility that the Guptas will attempt to flee the country, if they have not done so already,” said Maimane.

The NPA has applied for three different orders in the high courts in Pretoria and in Bloemfontein to freeze the family’s assets in the country. Their assets that were allegedly acquired through criminal activities will be seized pending the outcome of the legal case. If found guilty, they would have to forfeit the assets.

The case against the Guptas has also expedited Zuma’s exit from the party’s presidency. The NPA told the City Press that they were waiting to go ahead with prosecuting the Indian-origin brothers until after the African National Congress (ANC) election, which took place in December. Cyril Ramaphosa took over as the president of the party for the next five years.