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Cows are seen at the Estina dairy farm project during Mmusi Maimane's visit in Vrede. (Deon Raath/Gallo Images/Rapport)
- The Investigating Directorate plans to have the R280 million Estina dairy farm fraud and corruption case reinstated on the court roll.
- This after the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein struck the matter off the roll on Wednesday.
- The National Prosecuting Authority says it remains "remains undeterred in the pursuit of this matter and will take all necessary steps to reinstate it".
The Investigating Directorate (ID) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it will take steps to promptly reinstate the R280 million Estina dairy farm fraud and corruption case on the court roll.
This follows the decision by the Free State High Court in Bloemfontein on Wednesday to grant the defence's application to strike the matter off the court roll in terms of Section 342 A of the Criminal Procedure Act.
The defence argued that it was unable to access the electronic version of the hard copies of the so-called "Gupta leaked emails".
Section 342A allows the court to investigate any unreasonable delay in the completion of proceedings.
He said on 15 June this year, the defence was provided with the electronic versions of the same hard copies disclosed in early 2023.
"The State also made its own technical expert available to assist the defence in accessing the digital platform, should they experience any challenges.
According to Mhaga, the State has been ready to proceed since 5 August, and witnesses have been ready to testify:
The ID team has been guided by external and experienced senior counsel who have worked diligently on all aspects of the Gupta evidence and relevant disclosures.
Mhaga added that the NPA would reflect on the court's decision and said "the NPA remains undeterred in the pursuit of this matter and will take all necessary steps to reinstate it."
The Vrede Dairy Farm project was an agreement between the Gupta-linked Estina company and the Free State Department of Agriculture in 2012.
Gupta family lieutenants Nazeem Howa, Ronica Ragavan, and Ashu Chawla, as well as the Gupta brothers' nephew, Varun Gupta, appeared in court in Free State in 2018. (Mlungisi Louw/Netwerk24/Gallo Images/Getty Images)
The farm was supposed to uplift up-and-coming local farmers.
Instead, it lined the pockets of the Guptas with millions of rand.
