Bail for Gupta associates in Vrede dairy fraud case
BAIL of between R10 000 and R200 000 has been set for the eight people accused of misappropriating funds meant for the Vrede Dairy Project set to benefit black farmers in the Free State.
Free State Agriculture Department head Mbana Peter Thabethe, together with chief financial officer Sylvia Seipati Dlamini and former district services general manager Dr Takisi Janki Masiteng, were released on R10 000 bail.
Oakbay’s former chief executive Ashu Chawla, directors Nazeem Howa and Varun Gupta as well as Tegeta Resources director Ronica Ragavan were granted bail of R200 000 each.
But accused No 5 Kamal Vasram was not granted bail as police were still trying to verify his particulars.
They all appeared in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court yesterday. They were ordered to surrender their travel documents and have to report to the police at stipulated times.
The accused face serious charges including corruption, theft, fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud and contravening the Public Finance Management Act.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said a team of senior prosecutors had built a very good case against the accused.
“The prospects of success are very high. The police had to effect arrests because they had assessed the risk of some of the accused fleeing,” said Mfaku.
After the court proceedings, Hawks spokesperson Hangwani Mulaudzi said more arrests would be made soon.
He said the police were looking for Ajay Gupta after he failed to hand himself over to police as agreed with his lawyers.
The matter was postponed to August 17.
Atul Gupta had reportedly tried to flee the country but was foiled by a pilot
Former president Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane, a business partner of the Gupta brothers, was also said to be a wanted man on the run. – African News Agency (ANA)