Gupta associates back in court for bail application on Monday
Former Transnet board member and Gupta family associate Iqbal Sharma and former Free State Agriculture and Rural Development head Peter Thabethe are expected back at the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court to apply for bail.
The two appeared briefly on Thursday following their arrest the previous day.
They spent the weekend behind bars after their bail application was postponed to Monday.
Sharma and Thabethe are amongst 15 accused who face charges relating to defrauding the Free State Department of Agriculture.
The fraud is in connection with a R25m feasibility study in 2011 that was irregularly granted to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD, a company owned and controlled by Sharma.
The company had to provide a report to the department within seven months. Nulane, however, subcontracted the work to Deloitte Consulting Pty Ltd for R1.5m. Furthermore, it subcontracted the work already completed by Deloitte to Gateway Limited and paid them over R19m.
READ: 4 men in the dock for 'string of murders' in Pietermaritzburg
Investigating Directorate (ID) spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka says the accused are alleged to have colluded to divert funds earmarked for rural development in the Free State.
“These funds were then placed at the disposal of the Gupta family.
"Moorosi and Dhlamini were granted R10 000 bail each on Thursday following their arrest on Wednesday 03 June. The accused face charges of fraud and money laundering. The former government officials are also charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act."
“The fifth suspect in the matter, Iqbal Sharma’s brother-in-law and a representative of Nulane Investments, Dinesh Patel, will formally appear on 15 June 2021, owing to health reasons,” says Seboka.
They are charged together with three companies, Nulane Investment, owned and controlled by Sharma, Wone Management, Pragat Investment and Islandsite Investments.
