South Africa has seized an amount of $ 1.3 million from the bank account of Sahara Computers owned by Gupta

The central bank of South Africa seized more than $ 1.3 million from the bank account of the so-called secret-owned Sahara Computers that was one of the country’s major IT suppliers.

Kuben Naidu, deputy governor of the South African Reserve Bank (SARB), published a notice in the Government Institute Gazette, announcing the forfeiture of the amount and interest earned in the flagship institution Nedbank to the state.

SARB seized approximately Rand 20 million ($ 1.3 million) from a local bank account of the company.

Sahara Computers was the first major IT company started by three Gupta brothers – Ajay, Atul and Rajesh, who originally hail from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh, when they were in the dawn of democracy under Nelson Mandela in the 1990s in South Africa. I settled in

At the peak of its success, Sahara Computer was one of South Africa’s leading IT suppliers with naming rights in the top three cricket stadiums in the country and a key figure in sports and entertainment as a brand ambassador.

The family is now in self-exile in Dubai as South Africa continues to seek extradition efforts from state-owned entities to contain billions of South African Rands for their alleged role in capturing the state.

In 2016, after details of irregular deals surfaced, all South African banks refused to work further with the Gupta family businesses, which by then had extended to mining and media.

The Guptas moved to the local branch of the Bank of Baroda, which was eventually closed as the Indian bank was reducing its global footprint.

The Guptas allege that they were part of the robbery of Arabs through their close associations with former President Jacob Zuma, who himself is facing criminal charges.

Sahara Computer was also embroiled in controversy after Zuma’s twins were given attractive management and board positions in the company.

The Guptas allege that he was so close to Zuma that he announced changes to his cabinet before doing so himself, witnesses have said in the State Commission of Inquiry into the inquiry.

In 2017, large-scale Sahara computer offices were abandoned, with media reports indicating that the company still owed creditors around half a billion rand.

The company entered into an agreement with Subrata Roy’s Sahara India Parivar in 2004 to manufacture and supply a wide range of IT products through 25 distribution centers across India.

But despite the mega launch in Lucknow, top Bollywood celebrities and business and political leaders from both countries participated.