Gupta Corruption Latest: Business associate in court for bail application
The Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court is expected to hear the bail application of former Transnet Board member and Gupta family associate, Iqbal Sharma, and former Free State, Agriculture and Rural Development (FSDoARD) head, Peter Thabethe on Monday.
The pair’s bail application comes after the two appeared
briefly in court on Thursday 3 June following their arrest on Wednesday 2 June.
Their bail application was postponed to Monday 7 June and they spent the
weekend in the Bainsvlei Police Station cells.
Sharma and Thabethe are amongst 15 accused who face charges
relating to defrauding the Free State Department of Agriculture (FSDoA).
Investigating Directorate Spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said
that the fraud was in connection with a R25m feasibility study in 2011 that was
irregularly granted to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD, a company owned and
controlled by Sharma.
“The company had to provide a report to the department
within seven months. Nulane, however, subcontracted the work to Deloitte
Consulting Pty Ltd for R1.5m. Furthermore, it subcontracted the work already
completed by Deloitte to Gateway Limited and paid them over R19m,” Seboka said.
“From there, the funds were diverted to Islandsite
Investments 180 (Pty) Ltd (Islandsite), a company owned and controlled by the
Gupta family.”
The NPA’s Investigating Directorate has alleged that Sharma,
Thabethe; former head of FSDoA, Limakatso Moorosi; and former FSDoA Chief
Financial Officer, Seipati Dhlamini, colluded to divert funds earmarked for
rural development in the Free State. These funds were then placed at the
disposal of the Gupta family.
Moorosi and Dhlamini were granted R10 000 bail each on
Thursday 3 June, following their arrest the day before.
The accused face charges of fraud and money laundering. The
former government officials are also charged with contravention of the Public
Finance Management Act.
The fifth suspect in the matter, Iqbal Sharma’s
brother-in-law and a representative of Nulane Investments, Dinesh Patel, will
formally appear on 15 June 2021, owing to health reasons.
They are charged together with three companies, Nulane
Investment 204 (Pty) Ltd (owned and controlled by Sharma), Wone Management
(PTY) LTD, Pragat Investment (Pty) LTD and Islandsite Investments Pty Ltd. The balance
of accused listed in the charge sheet are not currently in South Africa.
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