Kathrada Foundation slams Guptas’ ‘arrogant’ request

The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation says the Gupta family should not be granted preferential treatment and be allowed to testify at the state capture inquiry via a video link to Dubai.

In a statement on Monday‚ the organisation said it supported arguments by Advocate Vincent Maleka‚ the commission's evidence leader‚ against the Guptas participating via video link in the Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo's commission of inquiry into state capture.

“The audacity of the Guptas to ask for preferential treatment‚ despite being so deeply implicated in the state capture process‚ shows their arrogance‚” said the foundation’s director Neeshan Balton.

“Members of this family have come to represent the very antithesis of the values that we hold important in this democracy... It is something that should raise the ire of all of those who live in this country and respect not only the rule of law‚ but the processes of justice itself.

“We cannot allow the arrogance of members of the Gupta family to make a mockery of the procedure put in place to deal with the mess that they are in part accused of causing‚” said Balton.

“The Guptas want to benefit from the legal processes set up through this commission‚ but at the same time want to flee the law. They want to cross-examine witnesses‚ but are they prepared to subject themselves to cross-examination as well if they are called on to testify?

“They want to participate in the commission‚ but are they prepared to accept its recommendations while sitting plush in Dubai?”