Close X
Tuesday, November 5, 2024
ADVT 
International

South African Opposition To Lay Criminal Charges Against Indian-Origin Gupta Family

IANS, 21 Mar, 2016 12:44 PM
    South African opposition, The Democratic Alliance (DA), threatened on Sunday to lay criminal charges against an Indian family "for what now amounts to further prima facie evidence of an attempt to improperly benefit from public resources".
     
    This followed media reports on Sunday that former Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) CEO, Themba Maseko, was called by President Jacob Zuma prior to a meeting with the Gupta family form India in Jonnesburg and asked to "help them", Xinhua reported.
     
    At the meeting, it is alleged that the Guptas wanted government advertising to be channelled to The New Age newspaper run by the Gupta family.
     
    The DA said it will write to Public Protector Thuli Madonsela to request her to include the latest shocking revelations by Maseko in her investigation into Zuma and the Guptagate scandal.
     
    "This latest information regarding Gupta attempts to channel information to their newspaper may now explain why it is that the Department of Communications spent more than 10 million rand ($640,000) on advertising in The New Age in 2013/14. This amounts to 11.2 percent of government ad spend across 248 publications," the DA claimed.
     
    The party said it will continue to pursue all possible steps available to ensure that this attempt at "State Capture" by the Gupta family -- aided and abetted by Zuma -- is halted and justice is obtained.
     
    The former chair of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises, Vytjie Mentor, publicly revealed recently that she was offered the job of Minister of Public Enterprises by the Guptas on conditions that she "drops the SAA (South African Airways) flight-route to India and give to them".
     
     
    Mentor further alleged that Zuma was on the Guptas Saxonwold premises in Johannesburg at the time, in a room next door.
     
    Mentor's utterances have led to several African National Congress members speaking out on similar encounters with the Guptas, including Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas, Public Service and Administration Minister Ngoako Ramathlodi and former Public Enterprises Minister Barbara Hogan.
     
    A group of Catholic priests and brothers in Southern Africa, known as the Dominican Order, also requested the Public Protector to conduct a systemic investigation into the alleged involvement of the Gupta family in South African state affairs and the award of contracts to companies linked to the family.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Ontario Judge Approves $20.6m Settlement In Scotiabank Overtime Class-action Suit

    Judge Edward Belobaba of the Ontario Superior Court approved the settlement Thursday, with written reasons to follow in the coming weeks

    Ontario Judge Approves $20.6m Settlement In Scotiabank Overtime Class-action Suit

    Turkish Court Sentences 2 Men In Death Of Migrant Boy Alan Kurdi

    Turkish Court Sentences 2 Men In Death Of Migrant Boy Alan Kurdi
    The court in the Aegean resort of Bodrum convicted the two of human trafficking but acquitted them of the charge of causing the drowning deaths through deliberate negligence, the agency said.

    Turkish Court Sentences 2 Men In Death Of Migrant Boy Alan Kurdi

    Bill Would Make California 2nd State With Smoking Age Of 21

    Bill Would Make California 2nd State With Smoking Age Of 21
    California lawmakers on Thursday revived a stalled effort to make the nation's most populous state one of two to raise the smoking age to 21.

    Bill Would Make California 2nd State With Smoking Age Of 21

    Indian American Woman Manisha Nagrani Arrested For Skimming Funds For Blood Cancer

    Indian American Woman Manisha Nagrani Arrested For Skimming Funds For Blood Cancer
    Manisha Nagrani, 40, tried to raise funds by unwittingly linking her fake appeal to the fundraising site Giving Forward

    Indian American Woman Manisha Nagrani Arrested For Skimming Funds For Blood Cancer

    US Bans Use Of E-Cigarettes Banned On Airline Flights

    Electronic cigarettes are prohibited on any domestic or foreign airline flying to, from or within the United States under a final rule the government issued Wednesday.

    US Bans Use Of E-Cigarettes Banned On Airline Flights

    PM Justin Trudeau Intends To Steer Clear Of A Contentious Topic During U.S. Visit: Donald Trump

    PM Justin Trudeau Intends To Steer Clear Of A Contentious Topic During U.S. Visit: Donald Trump
    The prime minister feels very strongly about this — he doesn't get involved in domestic politics,

    PM Justin Trudeau Intends To Steer Clear Of A Contentious Topic During U.S. Visit: Donald Trump