NPA head Hermione Cronje said that efforts to bring the Guptas back to the country had intensified. The notices were issued against several Gupta family members and their associates, including:
- Atul Gupta and his wife, Chetali
- Rajesh Gupta and his wife, Arti
- Ankit Jain, former Nulane Investment Bank of Baroda account signatory
- Ravindra Nath, director of Wone Management
- Ramesh Bhat, director of Pragat Investments
- Jagdish Parket, director of Pragat Investments
The Interpol red notice list is the organisation’s equivalent of a “most wanted” list. The international law enforcement agency explains that a red notice requests law enforcement worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender, or similar legal action. “Red Notices are issued for fugitives wanted either for prosecution or to serve a sentence,” Interpol said. The agency would then assist in apprehending the fugitives by monitoring borders to detect when they attempt to move between countries. Interpol’s list of Red Notices currently includes 7,677 wanted persons, though it does not appear as if the online version has been updated yet.
The Gupta family stand accused of securing corrupt deals with state-owned entities under the rule of former president Jacob Zuma. They have denied any wrongdoing. President Cyril Ramaphosa previously estimated that more than R500 billion was stolen from the country’s coffers during Zuma’s rule. The former president is also feeling the heat in recent days. Zuma has launched a court case seeking to rescind a Constitutional Court ruling last week that found he was in contempt of court for refusing to appear at the Zondo Commission of Inquiry to answer the corruption allegations against him.
The country’s highest court sentenced him to 15 months in prison and determined that Zuma must hand himself over to the police within five days of the ruling or be arrested. The Constitutional Court has agreed to hear Zuma’s recession application. It is understood that his arrest stayed until another urgent application for an interdict against the decision can be heard in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday.
