Question NW2401 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
05 August 2022 - NW2401
Breytenbach, Adv G to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
What are the reasons for the delay of approximately three months by the National Prosecuting Authority to respond to a request by the United Arab Emirates for photographs of and fingerprints of the Gupta Brothers, for whom an Interpol Red Notice was issued?
Reply:
There was no delay in providing the requested fingerprints and photographs. The following timeline reflects how this process progressed:
a) 02 March 2022: Request received from Interpol Pretoria, on a request that they received from Abu Dhabi on 01 March 2022 for fingerprints and photographs of the Gupta brothers.
b) 03 March 2022: Fingerprints requested from the Criminal Record Centre.
c) 04 March 2022: Requested fingerprints obtained from Criminal Record Centre.
d) 10 March 2022: Fingerprints forwarded to Interpol Pretoria.
e) 14 March 2022: Fingerprints and photographs sent to Abu Dhabi. Photographs were in fact sent with the Red Notices in June 2021 but sent again in March 2022.