APA-Pretoria (South Africa) Corruption-accused fugitive Gupta brothers have reportedly acquired Vanuatu citizenship, a senior South African official said at the weekend.
Ministry of Justice director general Doctor Mashabane said he learnt that the Guptas were now citizens of Vanuatu following communication his office received from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last week.
“In the communication we received, the judgment makes reference to the Guptas being citizens of a country called Vanuatu in the Pacific islands,” Mashabane said.
He added: “I think that this is a critical development as well that the UAE court recorded them as being citizens of Vanuatu.”
The director general said this was a new development because previously the Guptas’ status was that they were carrying South African passports.
It was previously reported last month that the fugitive brothers were seeking asylum in Cameroon and Central African Republic.
In the same communication Pretoria learnt that the UAE had dismissed on technical grounds the extradition of the Guptas, who are running away from justice in South Africa in an alleged corruption scandal that involved the capture of state apparatus during former president Jacob Zuma’s administration between 2008 and 2018.
The Indian-born brothers left the country for Dubai after being sought in South Africa to face criminal charges on the allegations concerning the dealings of their companies and government under Zuma, who described them as family friends.
The new development poses new challenges for the South African government who have vowed to appeal against the decision to dismiss the extradition request.
NM/jn/APA