Indian tax inspectors raided on Tuesday premises of the Gupta family at the centre of a corruption scandal involving South Africa’s former President, Jacob Zuma, on suspicion they were bringing money into their native country, an official said.
South Africa’s anti-graft watchdog has accused the India-born Gupta brothers of using their friendship with Zuma to influence policy and amass wealth.
According to South Africa’s media, Zuma and the Gupta brothers deny any wrongdoing.
Amrendra Kumar, a senior income tax official in India’s Uttar Pradesh state, said that the Gupta brothers were suspected of finding ways to bring “illicit money” they had earned abroad into India.
“We want to look into blocking that way,” Kumar said by telephone, adding that he was involved in ongoing raids.
“They make all kind of illegal money there outside, these are the allegations which we want to look into,” he said.
The three Gupta brothers, Atul, Ajay and Rajesh, went to South Africa in the early 1990s and built a commercial empire stretching from computers to mining and media.
Last month, South African police raided Gupta properties there as part of an investigation into their dealings.
