South African and UAE doubles try to extradite Gupta brothers

• South Africa and the United Arab Emirates have coordinated the extradition of Rajesh and Atul Gupta.
• The arrangement came after UAE officials only revealed to South African authorities in April that the brothers had appeared in court in February.
• Justice and Correctional Services Secretary Ronald Lamorra announced that a task force from the two countries will begin its mission on June 15 to succeed in the extradition.

The governments of South Africa and the United Arab Emirates formed a joint task force to extradite Rajesh and Atul Gupta.

Following a meeting on Monday with UAE Attorney General Abdullah Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, the two countries resolved issues following South Africa’s failed extradition request in April.

The Gupta brothers are wanted in South Africa on a wide range of charges, including fraud, corruption and money laundering linked to the occupation of the country.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Department of Justice and Corrections said Minister Ronald Lamola met with the UAE minister and raised concerns about the status of Guptas’ extradition process.

read | Were the Guptas ever in jail? ‘Your guesses are as good as mine’ admits bureau chief

According to the statement, the purpose of the meeting was to “strengthen” partnership and cooperation with the UAE in “mutual legal assistance and extradition matters”.

The statement is as follows:

The meeting also discussed the Gupta extradition process. During the meeting, Minister Ramora expressed his concerns about the status of the fugitives and the court’s findings. He suggested what could be done to facilitate a successful extradition, stressing that it was a matter of South Africa’s national interest.

“The UAE has taken all necessary measures to fulfill its international obligations and assist and support South Africa in its quest to achieve justice for the Republic of South Africa and the UAE.”

The meeting decided to set up a technical joint working group, which will meet on June 15 to make a new extradition request.

According to the statement, the working group will allow countries to work closely together to ensure justice.

It added that the establishment of the task force was “a positive step towards strengthening partnerships and achieving shared goals”. News24 previously reported that, The South African government was kept in the dark On February 13, UAE authorities did inform them of the Gupta brothers’ appearance in court.

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