Question NW404 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services:
14 April 2023 - NW404
Horn, Mr W to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services:
What is the status of the extradition application pertaining to Mr Rajesh Gupta and Mr Atul Gupta?
Reply:
a) On 6 June 2022, the UAE Ministry of the Interior’s Directorate General for the Federal Criminal Police in Abu Dhabi informed the National Criminal Bureau, Interpol Pretoria, that abovementioned suspects were arrested in the UAE. The authorities in the UAE followed this up with a Note Verbale dated 6 June 2022, informing the Minister that the suspects have been arrested and requesting the Department, as Central Authority to forward the official extradition request to the UAE as soon as possible.
b) The formal extradition request was delivered by South Africa to the authorities in the UAE on 25 July 2022.
c) The Director-General of the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, in his capacity as the Central Authority, wrote to His Excellency Addullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, the Minister of Justice in the UAE, in September 2022 as a follow up to the request.
d) During October 2022, the Central Authority travelled to the UAE to meet with Judge Al Balushi, and other representatives from the UAE Central Authority, including the prosecutor who is attending to the extradition request in Dubai. Judge Al Balushi was requested to keep the South African Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Department abreast of developments.
e) As directed by the Central Authority, on 16 January 2023, the South African Embassy in Abu Dhabi directed a Note Verbale to the Ministry of Justice requesting to be informed regarding the current status of the extradition request. The Embassy has indicated that they are waiting for a formal response from the Ministry of Justice in the UAE.
f) On 20 February 2023, the Central Authority addressed a further letter to His Excellency Addullah bin Sultan bin Awad Al Nuaimi, referring to his previous correspondence and again requesting a written update on the extradition proceedings of Mr Rajesh Gupta and Mr Atul Gupta.
g) The Department has not yet been favoured with a response by the authorities in the UAE, and the issue is being pursued via the diplomatic route, where DIRCO has been requested to arrange a meeting with His Excellency Ambassador Mahash Saeed Alhameli, the UAE Ambassador to South Africa in order to discuss the Gupta matter.