Ajay Gupta’s arrest warrant cancelled

Ajay Gupta is no longer a fugitive from justice – with the national prosecuting authority confirming in writing that the arrest warrant issued against him for corruption has now been cancelled.

The cancellation of the warrant, issued in connection with an alleged attempt to bribe former deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas to take over as finance minister and do the Gupta family’s bidding, means that Ajay Gupta can return to SA without fear of arrest.

His lawyers have declined to comment on whether he will return to testify at the Zondo Inquiry into state capture.

Deputy chief justice Raymond Zondo has repeatedly refused the Gupta family the right to cross-examine the state capture inquiry witnesses against them because they have refused to return to SA to do so.

The Hawks on Thursday stressed the cancellation of the warrant against Ajay Gupta did not amount to a vindication of him as a suspect, but was the inevitable legal consequence of the case against Duduzane Zuma being provisionally withdrawn.