Gupta sanctions lauded

Political parties, business approve US decision, call on SA prosecutors to act

POLITICAL parties have welcomed the decision of the US to impose sanctions on the Guptas, with business warning the noose was tightening around them.

Business Unity South Africa (Busa) yesterday called on other countries to follow the US and impose sanctions against the Guptas.

The DA, IFP and UDM said the government must begin to act and extradite the Gupta family to account on the allegations of corruption.

The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Ajay, Atul and Rajesh Gupta and Salim Essa, who is their associate and has been named several times at the Zondo commission hearings.

DA MP Natasha Mazzone said the government had been unable to act against the Guptas, but the US has taken decisive action.

Busa president Sipho Pityana said this was a major step by the US to act against the Guptas.

He said the sanctions against the Guptas were an indication that the noose was tightening around them.

“We call on other countries to follow suit and ensure that there is no place for the Guptas to hide either themselves or their ill-gotten gains,” said Pityana.

Mazzone said the US had taken decisive action against the family.

“The DA views the US sanctions against the Gupta family’s carefully orchestrated network of corruption as a positive step that could open the floodgates for several others to be held accountable for the crimes they committed at the expense of the South African people,” said Mazzone.

IFP chief whip Narend Singh said it was about time somebody acted against the Guptas.

He said he was happy an outside country had taken action against the family.

He said South Africa must finalise all agreements to ensure the Guptas were extradited to the country to account for the alleged crimes they committed and that the US sanctions showed that crime and corruption had no borders.

UDM leader Bantu Holomisa said the National Prosecuting Authority must begin to act and prosecute the Guptas.

He said there had been too many delays in dealing with the Guptas in South Africa, but the US had shown that there was no jurisdiction for people on serious corruption charges.

Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola also welcomed the decision of the US, saying his department had been working with the US on many things.

US Under-Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Sigal Mandelker, said the Guptas had used their political connections to loot the state.

She said there was now significant action by the US and they would continue to act against individuals implicated in corruption in line with the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

Mandelker said the US would ensure there was justice in the manner in which it dealt with the matter.

She said the evidence from the commissions of inquiry had shown there was corruption in the manner the Guptas had conducted business.