Victory for Guptas as court frees assets
Possessions worth about R250m seized in April must now be released
The Guptas and their associates scored a second court victory on Monday when the High Court in Bloemfontein freed assets such as luxury cars, aircraft and properties seized by the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU). The assets worth at least R250m were seized in April after the AFU obtained a provisional restraint order in relation to the Estina dairy farm matter. Those implicated in the case and affected by the restraint order approached the court in a bid to have it overturned. The case illustrates the difficult task ahead for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in retrieving the proceeds of state capture and bringing those implicated to book. The NPA called the ruling a devastating blow to the fight against organised crime. It also does not bode well for future cases, which is particularly worrying after Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan estimated that R100bn was lost to state capture and corruption from state-owned entities. The full-blown judicial inquiry into state cap...
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