The NPA has announced that former Transnet board member and Gupta associate, Iqbal Sharma has been denied bail, as he has been identified as a flight risk that could evade trial.
On Tuesday, 8 June 2021, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) released an update related to the Iqbal Sharma corruption case. The NPA stated that the former Gupta-linked Transnet board member had been denied bail after the Investigating Directorate (ID) told the court that Sharma is a flight risk.
According to the ID, Sharma failed to disclose crucial information related to his finances. The court was told that Sharma was too much of a flight risk and failed to mention that he had transferred R264.4 million to Issar Global, based in The United Arab Emirates, between 22 August 2016 and 8 December 2016.
Sharma and three others were arrested on Thursday, 3 June 2021. The other three have since been released on R10 000 bail. Sharma has been charged with defrauding the Free State Department of Agriculture, and the court has decided that Sharma has incentive to evade trial.
See the post below.
ID: Iqbal Sharma denied bail after the prosecutors convinced the court that he is a flight risk as he concealed crucial information regarding his finances#DealingWithCorruption #TakingProfitOutOfCrime pic.twitter.com/LI9EiLVjjw
— NPASouthAfrica (@NPA_Prosecutes) June 8, 2021
