Vrede Dairy Gupta graft case off roll – for now

The legal representatives of the accused in the Vrede Dairy criminal case are adamant it won’t return to court.

Advocate Michael Hellens, SC, represented several Gupta-linked entities and associates, and Isaac Moletsane represented the general manager of district services in the Free State agriculture department, Takisi Masitseng, in a brief court appearance yesterday in which the case was formally withdrawn from the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court roll.

The accused had faced a string of charges including fraud, money laundering and corruption related to the Vrede-based project which was meant to benefit upcoming farmers. The National Prosecuting Authority said the investigators would continue to engage with law enforcement in the United Arab Emirates and India to obtain information that could see the charges reinstated.

The Gupta-linked Estina entered into an agreement with the Free State department of agriculture to implement the project in Vrede. It was meant to benefit disadvantaged people in the area.

The department allegedly paid over R200 million into the Estina account for the project. Thereafter, Estina moved the funds to the Bank of Baroda pool account.

The accused included former provincial agriculture department head Peter Thabethe, Masiteng, former chief financial officer of the department Sylvia Dlamini, Gupta affiliates and associates Ronica Raghavan, Nazeem Howa, Ashu Chawla, Varun Gupta, Kamal Vasram and Gupta-linked entities. – OFM News