Ajay and Atul Gupta. (Photo: ANA)
AfriForum pressed the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for feedback on the status of efforts to extradite members of the Gupta family to South Africa.
The civil rights organization has made a request to Andy Mothibi, the national director of public prosecutions, to get clarity on the legal and diplomatic process to bring back the Gupta family so that they can be prosecuted for their alleged involvement in corruption, fraud, money laundering and other crimes related to state capture.
According to AfriForum, the Gupta case remains one of the most damaging corruption scandals in South Africa’s democratic history and it has seriously damaged public trust in state institutions and the criminal justice system.
“As an organization that represents more than 300,000 members nationwide, AfriForum believes that the public deserves transparency about what is being done to ensure accountability in one of the country’s biggest state capture scandals,” says Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s chief spokesperson on community safety.
Among other things, AfriForum is asking for clarity on the current status of the extradition efforts, whether new applications or negotiations are underway, what obstacles are delaying the process, whether alternative legal avenues are being considered and how cooperation between South African authorities and international law enforcement agencies is progressing.
Ajay en Anil Gupta agter tralies (Facebook/We Are South Africans)
Broodryk says it is unacceptable that years after allegations of state capture came to light, there is still no clarity on whether significant progress is being made to bring the Gupta family before a South African court.
“The continued delays and lack of clarity create the perception that individuals with political connections can evade accountability for an indefinite period. Such a perception is harmful to public confidence in the rule of law,” he says.
AfriForum further states that the principle of equality before the law must be applied consistently, regardless of political influence or financial power.
“If ordinary citizens are expected to bear the consequences of alleged criminal actions, the same standard must apply to individuals involved in large-scale corruption and state capture. No one should be untouchable,” adds Broodyrk.
The organization says it expects an official response from the NPA and will continue to monitor the matter closely.