On the 18th January the Gupta family and Oakbay Investment Group was charged in the Free State Division and in Bloemfontein. This time for forfeiture of state grants in a agriculture scheme. This after affidavits and trials over a case was showing how the companies of the Gupta family was bleeding the state out of millions of Rands. This was a case where the Gupta used their connections with the Free State and their operatives to be able to forge projects to get state funds.
That the Company made by the Gupta and Oakbay called Estina started a Free State Diary Project. The projected funds and supposed research newer came into effect. There were any bidding on the state funds that was given to the studies made by Estina. The millions of rands was given by the state to the operations between April 2013 and May 2016. This was in total of R220,202,652.00. These payments went to different accounts and various partners of Estina. These funds didn’t got to Estina, but to various companies all over the globe and accounts. Nothing went to what they we’re intended to by Department of Agriculture in the Free State Division. The funds to went to various entities, but not the diary project or the business of the farm as it was intended.
The Estina Company was supposed to have functions of a diary project at the Vrede Diary Farm. This was never made, the money was just fueled from the Estina and into various accounts. The whole was supposed to be a part of the revitalizing the agriculture in the province, as the Mohoma Mobung Strategy. Therefore, the Free State started subsidizing the diary project in the Vrede Area and in the Phumulela local municipality. That is why the state made the Vrede Diary Project as a prestige project. Which was supposed to generate job creation in the area. Therefore, without following procedure and lawful codes, the Free State made an MoU with the Estina Company. It was Free State’s own HoD Peter Thabathe Mbana who wanted this to be the Free State flagship in March 2012. A year before the first payment to the Estina Company. The establishment of the grounds for these transactions and company cannot be proven, even as civil servant cannot prove the connection between Indian Company Para’s and Estina. Even, if he claimed so in his affidavit.
While the Estina company has strange change of types of business as it was in connection with Sahara Computers and run by well-known man in Gupta enterprises Kamal Vasram. The Company was first incorporated in 2008 and registered in Sunninghill, Johannesburg. By October 2012, it went from Computers to Agriculture and related activity. Then, also registered in Sandton, Johannesburg. After resigning in July 2015. The new Director ran the company to ground and was liquidated in May 2017 with assets in the levels of R34,200. So the Company had been run like a mill by the steady grants given by the Free State, while the business was “booming”.
Because of reluctance of Thabathe to give documentations of both the direct transactions, the evidence of needing these funding and tenders supposed to be public. The transparency of the project and way the grants was given. The National Treasure and the PPP we’re threaten when trying to force documentation of the business between the Department and Estina. That there are no proof of the needed supply chain between the parties, shows that money was ghosted when it left the Free State Account into the Gupta owned business.
There was also a 99 year Free Lease of the land in Farm Krynaauws Lust 275 district Vrede, Free State Province. The measure of the farm was 4439,5122 hectars of land. That the Free State signed over to the Estina company, because of the flagship program and diary project that was granted them.
Clearly, if you cannot read between the line, this was all a forged company and playful agriculture, with very little milk and cows. More of spoiling the grants and funds to other accounts. Spilling the government sanctioned funds into private accounts all around the world. It ended on accounts in Iceland, Dubai and India, also in various accounts in South Africa.
That the Gupta and Oakbay had no issues with forfeiting 220 million Rands and also capturing a giant farm in Free State Province. Proves how careless and reckless they have been. We already know about their giant deals with Eskom and in other government grants. This is yet another one. That has ordered in courts, where the Ministry of Work has ceased the farm and the different accounts has to deliver and refund the Province with the misused fortunes gained on Diary Project that never really existed. As the procurement, tenders and the whole operation was sham from the get-go. Which lasted from 2012-2016. That led to the demise of the Corporation in 2017.
This is yet another proof of the their state capture and what the Zuma Administration has accepted during his tenure from the Gupta based companies. As they have been bleeding the Free State out of funds in this instance, as they have done in other sectors and with other businesses all around South Africa in the recent decade. Peace.
