The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA’s) Investigating Directorate (ID) says the matter is sitting virtually, owing to rising Covid-19 numbers attributed to the development and outbreak of the Omicron variant in the country. 

It is expected that today the state will hand over the final indictment to the accused and all parties can eye a possible trial date. In October, Gupta lieutenant and director of the brothers’ Islandsite Investment 180, Ronica Ragavan, made her first court appearance in the matter after it was revealed she would be added in as an accused in September. She was granted R10 000 bail. 

ALSO READ: #Gupta lieutenant out on R10 000 bail

Her fellow accused are: the former Deputy Director-General (DDG) of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Transnet board member, Iqbal Sharma; the former Free State Agriculture Department Head, Peter Thabethe; the current Deputy Director-General at the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), Sylvia Dlamini; and Bloem Water Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Limakatso Moorosi, Sharma’s businessman brother-in-law, Dinesh Patel; and the businesses embroiled in the scandal.

The background of the state’s case is that in 2011, the Free State Agriculture Department paid over almost R25 million to Nulane Investments, which was owned by Sharma, for the Vrede feasibility study. Nulane – represented by Sharma’s brother-in-law, Dinesh Patel – then negotiated and subcontracted the same feasibility study to forensic auditing firm, Deloitte, for R1,5 million. They went further and subcontracted the work already carried out by Deloitte to Gateway Limited and paid them R19 million. 

ALSO READ: State to add more accused to #Vrede feasibility study case

The state alleges the funds were thereafter laundered into varied accounts, including that of Islandsite Investments 180. It is for the money-laundering that occurred that the Gupta family has now been linked to the case.The state has, in light of the money-laundering allegations, approached Interpol to have them issue red notices for Atul and Rajesh Gupta, as well as for their wives Chetali and Arti. 

Whilst red notices for the Gupta family remain under consideration, the notices have been issued for their associates, former Nulane Investment Bank of Baroda account signatory, Ankit Jain;  Director of Wone Management, Ravindra Nath; and the Directors of Pragat Investments, Ramesh Bhat and Jagdish Parekh.

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The Guptas previously attempted to have Ragavan represent Islandsite in proceedings pertaining to the restraint order, however, their application was denied by the Free State High Court President, Cagney Musi, in light of the company being placed under business rescue. Musi echoed the state’s sentiments that the assigned business rescue practitioners, Knoop and Kloppers, were the only ones who could represent Islandsite in said proceedings.

Ragavan’s senior legal counsel, Dawie Joubert, has previously thrown one or two jabs at the state during the criminal case proceedings, saying his client had been apprehended before in connection with the Vrede matter back in 2018, and the charges were later withdrawn. This criminal case does not pertain to the entire project per se.

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