There have been asset seizures, some charges laid here and there – but nothing comes close to what has happened this week. On Wednesday, the NPA’s Investigative Directorate (ID) and the Hawks picked up former Tegeta Exploration and Resources director Ronica Ragavan, former Optimum Coal mine trustee Pushpaveni Govender and Joel Raphela, a former deputy director general at the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy. They appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on charges of fraud, forgery, uttering, perjury and money laundering. Tegeta was of course the Guptas’ vehicle which sought to buy Optimum with money irregularly paid to it by Eskom. And then on Friday, the big bombshells: Siyabonga Gama, Eric Wood, plus three others (Garry Pita, Phetolo Ramesebudi and Daniel Roy) were arrested and appeared in the Commercial Crimes Court in Palm Ridge.

Source: News 24 May 28, 2022 03:12 UTC