No court date for SA businessman held in Dubai over Gupta video

THE South African businessman who circulated a video of himself chatting to Indian businessman Ajay Gupta remains in Dubai police custody.

Justin van Pletzen was still detained yesterday, said Ndivhuwo Mabaya, spokesman for the Department of International Relations and Co-operation.

“It remained unclear why he was being held and a court date has not yet been confirmed.

“Justin is in custody of Dubai police. We will know the charge when he appears in court,” said Mabaya.

“He has all the support he has requested. His brother is in contact with the rest of the family, the brother is also working in Dubai.”

Van Pletzen posted a video online in which he asked Gupta when he was planning to return to South Africa, where he is wanted for alleged corruption.

“Are you going back to South Africa? The country’s looking for you,” Van Pletzen said in the video.

Gupta replied: “They’re not giving a reply. The day they give a reply, I’ll go there.”

Van Pletzen added: “They’re looking for you, sir, they’re looking for you.”

Local news website Times Select reported that Van Pletzen’s brother Sebastian said he apparently had been arrested for a video recording.

“Yes, there is an investigation by UAE authorities, because a law on videoing people in that country has been broken, but I can assure you my brother has not been arrested or charged,” said Sebastian.

“He is co-operating with the Dubai authorities in their investigation. Maybe there will be charges but maybe, and we are hopeful, there won’t.”

Van Pletzen, a father of two young children, regularly travels between Dubai and South Africa.

Van Pletzen regularly posted pictures of his two children on Facebook with messages about how he missed them. “Time travel... teleport me home please so I can hug these two.. pretty please,” he posted with one photograph.

Friends have meanwhile praised Van Pletzen for tracking down Gupta, who South African police have wanted to arrest for months.

“Turning into some kind of a legend here back home! I salute you,” wrote Johan Kriel on his Facebook profile shortly after Van Pletzen posted the video on April 4.

In that video post, Van Pletzen wrote on Facebook: “Please share this widely so that we can get him back to SA so he can face the music.”

“The laws here unfortunately are very strict about getting into a fight with someone. If I did, I would have been given a 50,000 dirham fine or have gone to jail,” he added.

“I’ve been telling everyone back home: the Guptas are here, Duduzane (Zuma) is here.”

Ajay Gupta is one of three Indian businessman brothers who have allegedly benefited from government deals due to their close association with former president Jacob Zuma.