CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa has vowed to take legal and diplomatic steps to capture the Gupta brothers after a court in the United Arab Emirates rejected a request to extradite the men on charges of money laundering and fraud and released them from custody.
The India-born Gupta brothers allegedly confided with former South African President Jacob Zuma to steal billions of dollars from state arms, electricity and transport companies. Zuma and the two brothers, who fled South Africa in April 2016 for Dubai, deny wrongdoing. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, who succeeded Zuma, said in 2019 that at least $32 billion may have been stolen under his predecessor's leadership.
