Outlook English - Print Subscribers Copy Outlook English, 18 June 2018 | Page 19

turned against us and did not want to their transactions. In The Republic of
Gupta, investigative journalist Peter-
continue business with us.”
Hinting at racism, Ajay says four major Louis Myburgh claims they controlled
banks in SA are owned by “a particular government contracts by becoming a
community”. In 2016, these banks shut sub-contractor who got the actual work
down all Gupta-related accounts citing and char­ged a ‘success fee’ as commis-
risk to reputation. A large chunk of sion for helping global players bag
the Guptas’ banking has been with the cont­racts. The money was then alleg-
Bank of Baroda, accounting for around edly routed out through a maze of
half-a-billion dollars over a decade. A overseas companies that had similar
large number of these transactions names as their parent companies in SA.
were allegedly made through their shell
companies in SA, Dubai and elsewhere,
NOTHER book, written by SA
booked as loans that did not reveal any
journalist Jacques Pauw, is slated
commercial purpose.
to be made into a dramatised TV
Ajay also brushes aside the contro-
series of three seasons. Who will
versy over the family’s relationship play the Guptas, Ajay in particular, is still
with the Zumas, saying he was also a matter of speculation, but the family is
ass­
ociated with other former presi- known to be close to several Bollywood
dents of SA, but that did not mean his personalities, including Anil Kapoor.
businesses had benefited. He claims his
Whatever the Guptas attempted in SA
relationship with Zuma dates back to were on a grand scale, be it business or
the time when the politician was not in wedding ceremonies. Like the time
any influential pos­ition in the African when Ajay flew out his Indian relatives
National Con­gress.
and politicians such as
“Zuma’s son joined us
Azam Khan in a chartered
as a trainee sometime in Ajay Gupta
plane to attend his niece’s
2003 or 2004, when his claims his
wedding without so
father was a nobody,” ­relationship
much as a visa or security
says Ajay. “Duduzane
clearance. That grand
with Zuma
grew with us on his own
wedding was known for
merit. He is surely not dates back to
other
reasons
too.
working as a president’s the time when
According to a chart
son, but as a partner and the politician
drawn by a collaboration
an investor.”
of four media outlets, it
was a nobody.
Much like India’s res-
was allegedly funded by
ervation system, SA also
money meant for a gov-
has a ‘black econ­omic empowerment’ ernment dairy project.
legislation that ensures 25 per cent
Last year, when Ajay’s son was get-
reservation for non-white people. Ajay ting married, his advisors suggested he
claims his work with the president’s pack 30 bags and leave SA as there was
son was part of their firms’ efforts for a lot of focus on their business affairs.
this empowerment.
Shortly after Ajay left, all his family
The Guptas have lost many business members also flew out of SA, except
associates and are now reaching out to his nephew Varun Gupta and three key
former Indian partners and others for associates, who were arrested and
ventures outside SA. Their previous their passports impounded. A South
partners include Subrata Roy’s Sahara, African court granted bail to Varun a
Laxmi Goel’s Essel and Action Shoes. day before Ajay’s interaction with the
None of the Indian ventures worked, media in Delhi.
which Ajay dismisses with a shrug.
When brother Atul was trying to fly off
“We made losses. I don’t think India in their jet, the pilot refused to take off.
was ready for retail business at the Somehow he managed to get a substitute,
time,” he says. During that period, but the Canadian state-owned credit
however, several Indian retail brands agency that financed the jet wanted it
were expanding at a brisk pace.
back soon after. To avoid detection, the
Though Ajay dismisses the claims plane’s GPS location was turned off.
against him, the ‘Gupta Leaks’—a dump
The Guptas, however, cannot turn off
of their e-mail and financial records— the spotlight. It’s a price they pay for
contain much damaging material about being famous. Even in hiding. O
A
18 June 2018 OUTLOOK 19
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