Suspicion is not enough, says judge in ruling to lift Gupta funds freeze
High Court in Bloemfontein reduces preservation order of R220m in relation to the Estina dairy farm project in the Free State to R40m
The controversial Gupta family scored its first victory in court on Friday when the High Court in Bloemfontein overturned the freezing of R10m in Atul Gupta’s personal bank account. The court also reduced the preservation order of R220m in relation to the Estina dairy farm project in the Free State to R40m. BDK Attorneys, representing six of those arrested in connection with the project, including the Guptas’ Oakbay Investments, has now written to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the Hawks and the South African Police Service insisting that the case be dropped because of a lack of evidence. "The criminal prosecution is based on the same facts underlying the preservation application," BDK Attorneys director Rudi Krause told Business Day on Sunday. "The preservation application was clearly based on a complete misconception of the most basic facts." He said if this misconception was perpetuated in the criminal case, then it ought to be withdrawn. In the letter, seen by Busines...
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