A former minister in expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on fraud and money laundering charges relating to the Free State Estina Dairy Farm project.
A FORMER minister is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on fraud and money laundering charges relating to the Free State Estina Dairy Farm project.
According to Sindisiwe Seboka, spokesperson for the Investigating Directorate, the accused faces charges of theft, fraud and money laundering. The charges are linked to the failed dairy farm project.
While Seboka did not name the minister, it is believed that former minister of Mineral Resources Mosebenzi Zwane was expected in the dock.
Zwane, who was Free State agriculture MEC at the time when public funds were allegedly looted during the controversial farm project, was expected to hand himself over to authorities in Bloemfontein on Wednesday.
The other arrests include two Gupta brothers, Kamal Vasram and Saliesh Indurjeeth, who are out on R10,000 bail.
On Tuesday, the Pretoria Regional Court postponed the R37.7 million fraud case to November for a pre-trial.
They face charges of fraud, contravention of Section 54(1)(A) of the International Trade Administration Act and contravention of Regulation 22 of the Exchange Control Act — charges arising from a joint investigation by SARS and the NPA’s Investigating Directorate.
Their trial has been set for March 2023.
