Outa charges Dudu, Guptas with treason and racketeering

Treason and racketeering charges have been levelled against President Jacob Zuma's son, Duduzane, and his controversial Gupta friends.

If convicted, Duduzane, and brothers Atul, Ajay and Rajesh "Tony" Gupta face life imprisonment.

The charges were laid earlier today at the Randburg police station by the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse.

A week ago Outa charged Mineral Resources Minister Mosebenzi Zwane with treason and racketeering.

Under racketeering charges, which include corruption, extortion and fraud, international law enforcement agencies can seize an accused's local and global assets, including bank accounts, and shares.

The charges follow mounting pressure on the Hawks and the National Prosecuting Authority to investigate the Gupta family.

For months evidence of corruption and state capture has been emerging frome-mails lifted from computers linked to Gupta companies.

"The Gupta family and their associates," said Outa COO Ben Theron in his affidavit, "have, at all relevant times acted with common purpose to perpetrate illegal activities."

He accused the brothers and Duduzane of running a business empire that had made billions from illegitimate deals signed off with the help of compliant ministers and state officials.

Theron said those involved in the Gupta empire included mineral resources official Jacinto Rocha, Presidency COO Lakela Kaunda, one of Jacob Zuma's wives, Gloria Bongi Ngema-Zuma, Duduzane's twin sister, Duduzile, Transnet acquisitions and disposals committee chairman Iqbal Sharma, former Transnet and Eskom CEO Brian Molefe, and former Transnet chief financial officer Anoj Singh.