Question NW796 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
14 April 2023 - NW796
Breytenbach, Adv G to ask the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services
Whether Atul and Rajesh Gupta were arrested after a stakeout by Interpol in Dubai; if not, how did they end up in custody; if so, what are the full relevant details in this regard; (2) (a) Whether representatives of his department requested to physically see the Guptas, even once, since they were arrested in June 2022; if not, why not; if so, (3) Whether the request was granted; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, on what date did the site visit take place; (4) Whether his department was furnished with mugshots of Atul and Rajesh Gupta as confirmation of their capture; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
During February 2022, Interpol South Africa issued a Red Notice pertaining to Messrs Gupta. The Red Notice was forwarded to the UAE via the official police channel.
The Department was informed that Mr Atul Kumar Gupta and Mr Rajesh Kumar Gupta were arrested by the authorities of UAE during June 2022. The exact date of arrest is unknown to the Department.
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.
The Department was not granted access to the Gupta brothers and was not furnished with mug shots of them.