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DEPT OF HOME AFFAIRS JUST TOOK WHAT THE GUPTAS WROTE’

Source: The Daily Sun, 17/09/2018


HOME Affairs didn’t verify the Guptas’ documents while they were
processing their papers for visas.
Home Affairs official Norman Ramashia, who deals with appeals,
admitted this yesterday in parliament during the second day of the
inquiry into the Guptas’ early naturalisation.
Ramashia said he didn’t check the representations former Sahara COO
Ashu Chawla made on behalf of Ajay Gupta’s wife and mother when their
application was rejected.
“We just took what they wrote based on the fact that if they
misrepresented themselves, that’s something else.”
He said they didn’t verify many of the documents or information
presented to them by the Guptas. “I accepted the information on the
Guptas’ investment, and the number of people employed without
verification, on face value.”
He said after looking at the Gupta appeal letter, Home Affairs thought
the money the family contributed to the country was comforting but no
one verified their claims of investing R25 billion and making
donations to schools.
The Guptas claimed to be making donations to 77 North West schools.
The committee wants Chawla to testify but his lawyers said he is in
India until the end of November.
Chawla was central to organising hundreds of permits and visas on
behalf of the Guptas.
Another witness, Cornelius Christians, a commissioner in India who
dealt with the Guptas, told parliament he knows their agent.
He said: “I deal with many business people and know Chawla. We have an
open door policy at the High Commission. If a request is made, we look
at the request case by case.”
He said it was normal to fast forward visas and not only a privilege
for the Guptas. “In quick turnaround cases, it is normal to organise
them for all businesses,” Christians said.
Committee chairman Hlomani Chauke said the irregularity that ruined
the Gupta applications was caused by officials’ due diligence failure.
Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba was expected to testify yesterday.


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