Gupta extradition: SA govt still awaiting UAE update

Rajesh and Atul Gupta.

• The Justice Department is awaiting an update on the extradition of the Gupta brothers.
• Atul and Rajesh were arrested last June.
• Ronald Lamola has called for urgent talks with his counterpart in the UAE.

The Ministry of Justice and Correctional Services said it was still awaiting an update on the status of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) application to extradite Rajesh and Atul Gupta.

In a statement, Attorney General Ronald Lamora said he was “concerned” about the lack of updates on the Gupta brothers’ first court appearance and whether there would be a hearing on the extradition request.

The Gupta brothers were arrested in Dubai last June.

“There have been various inquiries by the central authorities to date; the latest request is for an emergency meeting between the two central authorities and the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services and his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates.”

read | Gupta extradition: SA has formally applied to UAE government, Lamola and Batohi confirm

The ministry said it was pursuing the matter through diplomatic channels.

At the inauguration of aspiring prosecutors from the National Prosecution Service in Pretoria on Thursday, State Attorney-General Shamila Batohi told reporters that the prosecution service and the Ministry of Home Affairs had done “everything”, to make sure “every box is ticked to ensure a successful prosecution” and wait to hear what the position is.

“At the moment there is nothing we can do. This is all in the hands of the UAE authorities…We are also anxious to understand what is going on, so the minister has asked to engage with our counterparts in the UAE as soon as possible.”

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