Former minister Mosebenzi Zwane, who was heavily implicated in the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, is appearing on Tuesday morning alongside another two suspects, including Ronica Ragavan, Ugeshni Govender, a former Sahara employee - a company owned by the Guptas. Ragavan and Govender were also the suspects in a previous Estina matter in 2018 which was provisionally withdrawn, pending further investigations.

ALSO READ: No new ground made in reviving #Estina criminal case

According to the National Prosecution Authority's (NPA) Independent Investigation (ID) spokesperson, Sindisiwe Seboka, Zwane is charged with fraud, theft, money laundering and corruption linked to the case where R288 million was earmarked for the project. Zwane and former Free State officials, including then MEC for Agriculture, and Mamiki Qabathe, were implicated by whistle-blowers and the DA Free State chairperson, Roy Jankielsohn. 

OFM News previously reported that over R220 million earmarked for Estina, to assist 80 upcoming farmers in Vrede, was looted from the province without beneficiaries seeing a single cent. Testimonies made to the Zondo Commission, chaired by Raymond Zondo, put to light how the provincial department made a R30 million up-front payment to Estina without any work being done or services rendered.  The commission has heard how Estina’s account only had just over R16 in its bank account on 4 July 2012, days before the provincial government deposited an amount of R30 million into its account.

In his report, Zondo said "it is quite clear on the evidence that Mr Mosebenzi Zwane was appointed Minister of Mineral Resources because the Guptas wanted him to be appointed to that position or because of his connection with the Guptas. This is reinforced by the identities of the two persons whom Mr Zwane appointed as his advisors after he was appointed minister. The two persons were Mr Kuben Moodley and Mr Malcolm Mabaso, both of whom were proved to have business links with the Guptas".

In May 2022, the Free State High Court finally set a trial date for the Vrede Dairy adjacent case involving the failed R25 million feasibility study.

The trial involves a Gupta lieutenant, companies, and former government departmental officials.

According to the NPA ID's Seboka, the R25 million Nulane Investment fraud and money laundering case - where the former Transnet board member and Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma is implicated - has been set for trial between 23 January and 3 March 2023.

ALSO READ: #Vrede adjacent criminal trial set for 2023

The Free State was one of the provinces often looted by the notorious Gupta family members and associates.

The state prosecutor, Peter Serunye, informed Magistrate Estelle de Lange during the court appearance of suspects involved in the Estina adjacent case that - from the testimonies in the State Capture Commission - it came to the fore that the Gupta family accumulated R49 billion in the country and R25 million looted from the study was just a portion of it.

Suspects, in this case, include Peter Mbana Thabethe, Seipati Dlamini, and Limakatso Moorosi, among others.

OFM News