Minister of Justice and Correctional Services, Ronald Lamola says South Africa is still pursuing the extradition case against Shepherd Bushiri through the extradition treaty.
Bushiri was arrested by the Malawian police and later released on bail. The self-proclaimed prophet fled South Africa after he was released on bail and was charged with fraud and money laundering in South Africa.
The NPA and Justice officials were in Malawi last week to testify, and the matter was postponed to May.
Lamola says he is confident they will conclude this case.
“Our officials and the NPA will be in Malawi ready to testify to bring Bushiri back to South Africa. Once it has been concluded the magistrate will make a decision that he is extraditable to South Africa, the minister of Justice in Malawi will therefore sign the certificate to bring him to our country or not or sign it for whatever reasons. So, we will await that outcome. We have decided that we will follow the matter through to its logical conclusion and once that is concluded he will be definitely coming back to South Africa to account,”
Gupta brothers
Lamola says the United Arab Emirates is not cooperating in terms of helping to extradite the Gupta brothers to South Africa.
Atul and Rajesh Gupta are wanted in South Africa on charges including fraud and money laundering related to State Capture.
Last year the UAE rejected South Africa’s extradition request for the brothers which the department described then as “inconsistent with article 17 of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, to which both nations are a signatory.
Lamola says the UAE authorities did not explain why South Africa’s request was rejected.
“We can submit the one we have but if you are not told why it did not succeed, we will be fishing in the sea which will be the most difficult thing. So, they need to tell us what the issues were because from our side we believe everything was compliant. It was done. So, we have sent a lot of questions. They were supposed to meet with the NPA, and the meeting did not happen from their side. We were even saying it could be done virtually. So up to this stage, I can state that there is no corporation from the UAE, in regard to helping the NPA.”
Source: SABC Online