Justice department to resubmit extradition applications for Guptas and Bushiri, AKA's 'killers' extradited

The justice department is going ahead with extradition applications for the Gupta brothers and “prophet” Shepherd Bushiri, while efforts to extradite Kiernan “AKA” Forbes' suspected killers from Eswatini have been successful. 

Briefing media on Friday, the department provided an update on issues of public interest.

Minister Thembi Simelane said the department is committed to fulfilling its treaty and extradition obligations to ensure justice is served. 

This includes the extradition of brothers Siyabonga and Malusi Ndimande from Eswatini, where the Manzini district court on Friday ordered their extradition to South Africa shortly after the briefing.

The brothers are expected to join seven others for their alleged involvement in the killing of rapper AKA and his friend chef Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane on February 10 last year. 

While that was a success, Simelane said they were engaging the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters and Extradition Treaty on requests to extradite the Gupta brothers from the UAE and Bushiri and his wife from Malawi. 

“These cases have faced several challenges but we remain steadfast in our pursuit of accountability. Our teams are working through diplomatic and legal channels to bring these matters to a resolution,” she said. 

As for the Guptas, justice department director-general advocate Doc Mashabane said their recent engagements with the UAE's justice system and law enforcement was the extradition application had to be resubmitted. Mashabane and former justice minister Ronald Lamola travelled to the UAE just before the May 29 general elections. 

“The view of the UAE, as the matter stands now, is to resubmit the extradition request and that has been their view since April last year when their court took a decision that our application is not in order.

“We don't have a new application because we don't have feedback from the UAE on what was wrong with our application, such as we attached a counsel warrant of arrest and there was also a valid warrant of arrest attached. Since then we are in that situation.”

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