Johannesburg - The NPA Investigating Directorate (ID) has vowed to prosecute the R25-million money-laundering case involving Gupta linked Nulane Investment without fear, favour or prejudice.
The High Court in Bloemfontein on Wednesday began hearing pre-trial issues, and adjourned to finalise the pre-trial issues on June 24, 2022.
ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka said the R25m Nulane Investment fraud and money-laundering case has been set for trial on January 23, 2023 to March 3 next.
“The bail conditions have been relaxed for the former head of the Free State Department of Agriculture, Limakatso Moorosi, who told the court that she needed to go to Lesotho to attend to her sick mother. No date was provided; however, she has been ordered to apply to the investigating officer before leaving,” Seboka said.
Seboka said the matter pertains to procurement fraud involving R24.9m paid between November 2011 and April 2012 by the Free State Department of Agriculture (FSDoA) to Nulane Investment 204 (Pty) Ltd, a company owned and controlled by businessman and Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma.
She said from there the funds were diverted to Islandsite Investments 180 (Pty) Ltd (Islandsite).
“The R24.9m was paid to Nulane purportedly to conduct a feasibility study for the Free State’s flagship Mohoma Mobung project, on the basis that Nulane had unique skills to perform the work,” Seboka said.
She said the accused in the matter were Ronica Ragavan, who stands accused in her personal capacity and in her representative capacity as a director of Islandsite, a company owned by the Gupta family, as accused number 7.
Seboka said the other accused in the matter were former Transnet Board member Sharma, former Free State head of Department for Rural Development (FSDoRD) Peter Thabethe and former FSDoA chief financial officer Seipati Dhlamini, who face charges of fraud and money laundering.
The former government officials are also charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.
Seboka further said the group is charged together with two companies, Nulane Investments and Islandsite.
“The NPA remains committed to fighting high-level corruption, without fear, favour or prejudice,” Seboka said.
Political Bureau