The embattled Gupta family is hoping to strike a deal with the Hawks this morning.
This follows the Hawks raid on the Gupta family’s Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg early on Wednesday morning.
News of the planned deals‚ which will see their lawyers meeting with the Hawks today‚ follows reports that President Jacob Zuma’s son and Gupta business associate‚ Duduzane Zuma‚ is to hand himself over‚ with his lawyers‚ to the Hawks today.
Duduzane Zuma‚ in response to SMSes and calls‚ said he was in a meeting and could not speak.
He failed to comment on reports that he was set to hand himself over to the Hawks.
Sources close to the Guptas and with knowledge on the raids and their apparent looming arrests‚ said moves were under way to get some sort of deal signed.
The Guptas lawyer‚ Ahmed Gani‚ said his clients had not been arrested.
“I am en route to meet them now. They have not been arrested or charged with anything and are still free as we speak‚” he said a short while ago.
Gani‚ of the law firm Gani Mayet Attorneys in Johannesburg‚ said that he had yet to receive any documents pertaining to the search and seizure warrant that saw heavily armed Hawks officers raid the family’s Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg early on Wednesday.
Gani was summoned from his Houghton offices after a call for assistance by an employee of the Guptas.
He confirmed that he would be meeting with the Hawks today.
The Hawks were seen early this morning shutting off a portion of the street outside the family’s home as they conducted the raid‚ which also saw officers raiding other properties linked to the family and their associates in Johannesburg.
The raids are believed to be linked to last month’s preservation order which the Asset Forfeiture Unit obtained in relation to the Estina Dairy Farm project‚ at Vrede in the Free State.
The project was meant to be a lifeline to indigent farmers but saw millions of rands allegedly siphoned off to the Guptas.
The #GuptaLeaks revealed last year that at least R30-million paid to the Guptas via the farm ended up funding the family’s lavish Sun City wedding in 2013 - but this did not form part of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s probe. Mkhwebane said the Estina expenditure was being investigated by the Hawks.
In her report‚ she found that the Free State agriculture department had failed to manage and monitor implementation of the terms of agreement with Estina in relation to budget evaluation‚ expenditure control and Estina’s performance. Mkhwebane directed Free State premier Ace Magashule to institute disciplinary proceedings against all implicated officials involved in the project and submit a report to the public protector on the action he will take once a disciplinary process has been concluded.
This story is developing.
Guptas plan to strike deal with Hawks - will Duduzane Zuma do the same?
Image: Martin Rhodes
The embattled Gupta family is hoping to strike a deal with the Hawks this morning.
This follows the Hawks raid on the Gupta family’s Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg early on Wednesday morning.
News of the planned deals‚ which will see their lawyers meeting with the Hawks today‚ follows reports that President Jacob Zuma’s son and Gupta business associate‚ Duduzane Zuma‚ is to hand himself over‚ with his lawyers‚ to the Hawks today.
Duduzane Zuma‚ in response to SMSes and calls‚ said he was in a meeting and could not speak.
He failed to comment on reports that he was set to hand himself over to the Hawks.
Sources close to the Guptas and with knowledge on the raids and their apparent looming arrests‚ said moves were under way to get some sort of deal signed.
The Guptas lawyer‚ Ahmed Gani‚ said his clients had not been arrested.
“I am en route to meet them now. They have not been arrested or charged with anything and are still free as we speak‚” he said a short while ago.
Gani‚ of the law firm Gani Mayet Attorneys in Johannesburg‚ said that he had yet to receive any documents pertaining to the search and seizure warrant that saw heavily armed Hawks officers raid the family’s Saxonwold compound in Johannesburg early on Wednesday.
Gani was summoned from his Houghton offices after a call for assistance by an employee of the Guptas.
He confirmed that he would be meeting with the Hawks today.
The Hawks were seen early this morning shutting off a portion of the street outside the family’s home as they conducted the raid‚ which also saw officers raiding other properties linked to the family and their associates in Johannesburg.
The raids are believed to be linked to last month’s preservation order which the Asset Forfeiture Unit obtained in relation to the Estina Dairy Farm project‚ at Vrede in the Free State.
The project was meant to be a lifeline to indigent farmers but saw millions of rands allegedly siphoned off to the Guptas.
The #GuptaLeaks revealed last year that at least R30-million paid to the Guptas via the farm ended up funding the family’s lavish Sun City wedding in 2013 - but this did not form part of Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane’s probe. Mkhwebane said the Estina expenditure was being investigated by the Hawks.
In her report‚ she found that the Free State agriculture department had failed to manage and monitor implementation of the terms of agreement with Estina in relation to budget evaluation‚ expenditure control and Estina’s performance. Mkhwebane directed Free State premier Ace Magashule to institute disciplinary proceedings against all implicated officials involved in the project and submit a report to the public protector on the action he will take once a disciplinary process has been concluded.
This story is developing.
Hawks raided the Gupta compound in Saxonwold, Johannesburg on February 14 2018.
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