On Monday, the South African authorities revealed that Rajesh and Atul Gupta of the Gupta family had been detained in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Gupta brothers, allies of former President Jacob Zuma, are accused in South Africa of benefitting financially and influencing key appointments as a result of their friendship with Zuma. They both deny any wrongdoing on their side.
The family migrated from India to South Africa in 1993. They are also suspected of money laundering in India, where tax authorities raided their homes in many places in 2018, including their company’s headquarters in Delhi. The Indian-born brothers’ affiliation with Jacob Zuma, South Africa’s president from 2009 until he was forced to leave amid a cloud of corruption accusations nine years later, lies at the heart of many of the most severe corruption allegations levelled against them.
The Gupta family is accused of exploiting its close links to President Jacob Zuma to wield substantial political power at all levels of the South African government, including winning corporate contracts, influencing high-profile government appointments, and misappropriating state funds. Several witnesses testified throughout Zuma’s nine-year presidency regarding the Guptas’ involvement in stealing enormous sums of money and influencing Cabinet minister nominations.
Zuma and the Guptas insist they are not guilty of any crime. After the brothers left the country, South Africa reached an extradition agreement with the UAE in 2021. Interpol has issued Red Notices to the Gupta brothers, who were also deemed persona non gratia by the United States and the United Kingdom.
For fugitives wanted for prosecution, Red Notices are issued to alert law enforcement authorities throughout the world to apprehend them pending extradition. The family departed South Africa in 2018 as the net tightened on them, with the ANC finally ousting Zuma and electing Cyril Ramaphosa as Acting President as a result of massive public protests. It is unknown why the third brother, Ajay, was not detained. Their assets have already been frozen by South African courts.
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