Johannesburg, June 7 (AFP/APP): Two Indian-born brothers who allegedly wove a web of corruption across South Africa have been arrested in Dubai and face extradition, in a landmark step in Pretoria’s anti-graft fight.
Dubai police confirmed Tuesday they had arrested Atul and Rajesh Gupta after receiving a so-called red notice from Interpol, and were coordinating with the South African authorities for their extradition.
South Africa’s National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the contact but gave no details, saying extradition processes were complex and involved heads of states.
The arrests took place on June 2, according to the UAE’s state news agency.
They bring a glimmer of hope that the alleged masterminds behind South Africa’s darkest corruption scandal will face prosecution after years of legal fog and delay.
The two tycoons in their 50s are accused of paying bribes for state contracts and wielding influence over ministerial appointments in a scandal that clouded former president Jacob Zuma’s administration and eventually forced him from office.
By one estimate, several billion dollars were lost to the South African economy as a result of their activities.
After Zuma resigned in February 2018, his deputy Cyril Ramaphosa took over.
Ramaphosa vowed to make the fight against graft the cornerstone of his presidency. But prosecutions have been rare, public scepticism runs deep and Ramaphosa himself is now fighting accusations of scandal.
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