Trial date set for Gupta-linked R25m fraud, money laundering case

The case relates to procurement fraud involving R24.9 million by the Free State Department of Agriculture.

Picture File: Former Transnet board member and Gupta family associate Iqbal Sharma. Picture: NPA ID communications

The R25 million fraud and money laundering case involving a Gupta-linked company, Nulane Investment, is set to go on trial from 23 January 2023 until 3 March 2023.

This after the High Court in Bloemfontein on Wednesday heard pre-trial issues and adjourned to finalise the pre-trial issues on 24 June 2022.

R25 million graft case

The case relates to procurement fraud involving R24.9 million paid between November 2011 and April 2012 by the Free State Department of Agriculture to Nulane Investment 204 (PTY) LTD – a company owned and controlled by former Gupta associate, Iqbal Sharma.

The R24.9 million was paid to Nulane by the provincial government 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.

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According to the NPA’s Investigating Directorate (ID), the funds were diverted to a company owned by the Gupta family, Islandsite Investments 180 (Pty) Ltd, and were allegedly not used for the Mohoma Mobung project.

“The accused in the matter is Ronica Ragavan who stands accused in her personal capacity and in her representative capacity as a director of Islandsite Investments Pty Ltd, a company owned by the Gupta family, as accused seven.

“The other accused in the matter is former Transnet board member Iqbal Sharma, former Free State head of Department for Rural Development, Peter Thabethe, and former Free State Department of Agriculture chief financial officer, Seipati Dhlamini, as they face charges of fraud and money laundering,” said the ID’s spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka in a statement.

Seboka said the former government officials were also charged with contravention of the Public Finance Management Act.

The group is charged together with the two companies, Nulane Investments and Islandsite Investments.

Bail conditions

At the same time, the bail conditions were relaxed for the former head of the Free State Department of Agriculture, Limakatso Moorosi, who is currently out on R10,000 bail.

Moorosi told the high court that she needed to go to Lesotho to go attend to her sick mother.

“No date was provided, however, she has been ordered to apply to the investigating officer before leaving,” Seboka said.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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