What Gupta wedding cost

Mother of all parties with no expense spared, courtesy of taxpayers

26 September 2017 - 06:45 By Graeme Hosken
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This file photo courtesy of the Gupta family released on May 3, 2013 shows Vela Gupta and her husband Indian-born Aaskash Jahajgarhia posing with relatives and guests during ceremonies for their wedding in Sun City, South Africa, on May 1, 2013.
This file photo courtesy of the Gupta family released on May 3, 2013 shows Vela Gupta and her husband Indian-born Aaskash Jahajgarhia posing with relatives and guests during ceremonies for their wedding in Sun City, South Africa, on May 1, 2013.
Image: AFP / COURTESY OF THE GUPTA FAMILY / Handout

What are you prepared to pay for cranberries, kiwi and a single scoop of ice cream?

Thanks to the international auditing firm KPMG and the South African Revenue Service‚ the Guptas were able to have all their wedding dessert and eat it – without paying a cent‚ and with no expense spared.

That's because you‚ the taxpayer‚ picked up the bill‚ not only for venue hire‚ waiters‚ cooks and candlestick holders‚ but also for their after-dinner sweeties and morning fruit platters.

Invoices from the Guptas' R30-million Sun City wedding‚ which are contained in a tranche of leaked e-mails‚ paint an astonishing picture of the family's exorbitant sweet tooth.

The invoices from the Guptas' company Linkway Trading – which KPMG helped write off as a business expense – show that guests were presented a delicious-sounding – and pricey – platter of dessert options.

Hazelnut milk Lindor truffles alone set taxpayers back R13‚088. But the chocolates were not the most expensive things on the menu for the three-day wedding.

Linkway Trading billed the Guptas R69‚992 for milk‚ while 600 single scoops of ice cream cost R21‚812.62.

An extra order of milk‚ yoghurt and cream cost R7‚258.58‚ while whole cranberries‚ bulk kiwi slices and unknown dessert “ingredients” cost R3‚075.92‚ R2‚759 and R41‚698.69‚ respectively.

Golden berries‚ according to the invoice‚ set taxpayers back a further R7‚125.

Beverages seem to have racked up the most costs for South Africans‚ coming in at a staggering R473‚370.41 followed by other general groceries‚ some bought at Makro‚ which cost roughly R190‚000.

It seems that the main dishes the Guptas presented to their guests were vegetables‚ which cost R169‚652.

When it came to fun in the pool‚ four hours of pool noodle and water ball hiring costs totalled R6‚555.09.

The ultimate spoil for the bride and groom and their wedding guests‚ however‚ appears to have been the fireworks display coming in at a cool R310‚801.52.

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