LAMOLA BLASTS UAE FOR FAILING TO INFORM SA OF GUPTA EXTRADITION DECISION

A United Arab Emirates court is believed to have ruled on the request almost a month ago, dismissing the application on a technical issue Lamola says is 'inexplicable'.

FILE: Justice Minister Ronald Lamola at an inter-ministerial briefing on the coronavirus in Pretoria on 13 March 2020. Picture: Sethembiso Zulu/Eyewitness News

Atul Gupta Gupta brothers Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola Rajesh Gupta United Arab Emirates UAE Atul and Rajesh Gupta

Nokukhanya Mntambo | 07 April 2023 13:10

JOHANNESBURG - Justice and Correctional Services Minister Ronald Lamola said South African officials were scrambling for answers after news that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had denied the country's request to extradite the Gupta fugitives.

Gupta brothers, Rajesh and Atul, are wanted in South Africa to face fraud and corruption charges related to state capture crimes.

Lamola briefed the media on Friday morning following reports the duo were spotted in Switzerland in late March.

Lamola hit out at the UAE for failing to inform South African officials of the court's decision to deny the extradition request for the Gupta brothers.

A UAE court is believed to have ruled on the request almost a month ago, dismissing the application on a technical issue.

The court denied the extradition on the charge of money laundering, citing the UAE's jurisdiction over the matter, while the arrest warrant on the fraud and corruption charges was cancelled.

But Lamola said this did not warrant grounds for dismissal.

"The reasons provided for denying our request are inexplicable and fly in the face of the assurances given by Emirati authorities that our requests meet their requirements."

Lamola further accused the UAE of flouting the extradition treaty.