The extradition process of Rajesh and Atul Gupta is expected to begin soon following their arrest in the United Arab Emirates. The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services last night confirmed, it has received information from law enforcement authorities in the UAE that the 2 fugitives of justice have been detained. The Department’s Chrispin Phiri says discussions between various law enforcement agencies in the UAE and South Africa on the way forward are ongoing.
Many have welcomed the arrest, calling it the most significant state capture development to date:
- The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse says the arrests of the Gupta’s prove the naysayers wrong, and that finally people will be held accountable for state capture. And most political parties have welcomed the arrest.
- The GOOD Party’s Secretary-General, Brett Herron says the arrest is an important opportunity for the NPA to restore faith in the country’s criminal justice system.
At the same time: The spokesperson for the Defend Our Democracy campaign, Dudu Mmeti says if the brothers are extradited successfully to South Africa, this would be an important victory for the many civil society organisations and ordinary citizens who have consistently called for justice and accountability.
