JOHANNESBURG: The South African court on Friday freezes the controversial gupta family assets and their colleagues, Iqbal Meer Sharma, which includes luxury homes in the uppermost region.
On Thursday, the Investigation Directorate (ID) of the South African National Prosecutor’s Authority (NPA) asked Interpol to issue Warrants International Red Notification for Atul Gupta and Rajesh Gupta, and their wife Cheetali and meaning.
Meer Sharma, one of their close colleagues, spent a weekend in prison, along with senior officials of the Provincial Free Government, waiting for the guarantee application on Monday.
A spokesman for ID, Sindisiwe Seboka, previously said they had a strong case against Guptas and Sharma involving fraud and corruption in a tone of more than 12 million South African Rand.
Guptas, accused of sucking billions of rand from state and parastatal institutions, is believed to be in self-exile in Dubai, with reports that some family members are in India.
South Africa has sent extradition papers to India and the UAE, although they do not have an extradition agreement with the UAE.
Four members of the Gupta family are the owner of the company, Islandsite, which was given by a high court order on Friday.
“Leave is given to institutionalizing the process of confiscating assets and the Islands of the Islands,” Read the order, which Sindisiwe Seboka was confirmed applied to assets, including all properties in South Africa belonging to the Islands.
The court has appointed a curator who will be responsible for the assets waiting for the results of criminal charges for fraud and violations of money institutionalized against Guptas, their company islands, Sharma, and their company Nanee.
“Freezing orders, which are given in the prevention of organized crime laws, will be presented at Iqbal Sharma in Bloemfontein BainsVlei (police) who hold cells, while the Islands will be presented at the local business address,” said a spokesman.
If they are found guilty, the assets concerned will lose the country.
The properties of Guptas are part of the order, including 21 million Rand Mansion on the outskirts of the Constantia elite in Cape Town and 12 million Rand Estate in Johannesburg.
Sharma assets, including their residence in the outskirts of the upper class Sandton in Johannesburg worth more than 12 million Rands said by the ID were owned through companies registered by UAE, Global Issar, and other assets worth around 1.8 million rand.
The Gupta family arrived from Saharanpur in India in the 1990s as early democracy with the release of the Revolutionary Anti-Apartheid Nelson Mandela.
Guptas grows their business from a simple retail shoe store to information technology, mining and large media.
