CAPE TOWN - Atul Gupta is challenging the court order freezing R10 million from his personal bank account by the Asset Forfeiture Unit in connection with the Estina Dairy Farm investigation.
In court papers, Gupta says that he had been out of the country since early February and challenged the court order that authorised the seizure.
Atul's brother - Ajay- has been listed as a fugitive and is wanted by authorities. He is believed to have skipped the country days before the Gupta's Saxonworld compound was raided by the Hawks.
The Gupta brothers were alleged to have irregularly pocketed R220m from the Free State provincial government, to be pumped into the dairy farm.
The money was allocated to benefit emerging black farmers. The NPA's Asset Forfeiture Unit has revealed that only R2m was spent on the farm.
The Estina project was among those flagged by former public protector Thuli Madonsela in her State of Capture Report in 2014.
As part of their probe, the Hawks had two weeks ago raided offices of Free State Premier Ace Magashule, who’s also ANC secretary-general, and the provincial office Department of Agriculture last month.
After months of investigations, the Hawks pounced on the Guptas and their alleged associates.
*This is a developing story.