By RFIPublished on 12/22/2019 Modified on 12/22/2019 at 7:23 p.m.
South Africa is trying to bring the Gupta back to the country, suspected of having embezzled hundreds of millions of euros during the two terms of Jacob Zuma, to bring them to justice. The family fled the country in 2018 and are now in the United Arab Emirates.
South African Justice Minister Ronald Lamola spent part of last week in the United Arab Emirates, officially to participate in a United Nations conference on fighting corruption. This ideally placed conference is very timely for South Africa, eager to bring the three Gupta brothers and one of their associates back to the country.
The Gupta live today between Dubai and India but are not worried for the moment. The reason is simple: South Africa and the UAE signed an extradition treaty last year, which the UAE still refuses to ratify for, officially, translation problems.
Do not turn into a "paradise of corruption"
Minister Lamola then raised his voice at the conference. " States that still delay ratifying treaties risk turning into a haven of corruption, " he said.
In reality, an international treaty, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), would technically allow the extradition of the family of businessmen, but it is not used by South Africa. If an extradition still seems distant, the noose tightens on the Gupta. The United States recently decided to blacklist the family on sanctions. They allegedly " stole hundreds of millions of dollars through illicit schemes with the government ".
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