Gigaba: Ajay not SA citizen

Fugitive from justice Ajay Gupta, one of three Indian-born brothers at the centre of state capture allegations, is not on the run using a South African passport, Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba said yesterday.

Briefing journalists after “putting the matter to rest” before parliament’s portfolio committee on home affairs regarding the early naturalisation of members of the Gupta family, Gigaba said only Ajay Gupta’s wife, mother and two children were granted citizenship.

“They were asked to renounce the citizenship of the country of origin at which point Mr Ajay Gupta declined to renounce Indian citizenship, therefore he is not a citizen of the Republic of South Africa,” Gigaba said.

He said after Ajay and four other members of his family were denied naturalisation in 2013, they appealed – after which the matter was put before a departmental panel to look at new facts. These included that the family employed thousands of workers in SA and was engaged in several philanthropic activities in the republic.

“If there was any intention on our part to favour this family and grant them citizenship, regardless of what the law stipulates, we would not have asked them to renounce Indian citizenship.”

Ajay and his brother Atul were not SA citizens but had permanent residency permits.

Asked whether they would revoke Ajay’s residency permit, Gigaba said: “Knowing what we know now is still not sufficient enough for us to revoke permanent residency permits of the two gentlemen because there has to be due process in the courts. Only once there’s a court ruling, we can take additional steps.”

Immigration law attorney Sandra Franke said about Ajay: “If you look at the Immigration Act and if there is any reason or proof to believe he is a prohibited person... and there is an outstanding warrant against you, whether in SA or out of the country, you are considered by immigration legislation as a prohibited person.” – ANA and Citizen Reporter