A man who was arrested in connection with a R25 million fraud and money laundering case linked to the infamous Estina dairy farm project, has been released on bail in the the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority's Investigating Directorate (ID), the bail application of Dinesh Patel, believed to be the brother-in-law of suspected Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma, was granted on Tuesday.
Patel is a representative of Nulane Investment, which Sharma owns.
He is accused along with 14 others of charges of fraud and money laundering in connection with a multimillion-rand feasibility study that the Free State agriculture department contracted to Nulane Investment, according to ID spokesperson Sindisiwe Seboka.
The other accused include Sharma; former head of the Free State Department for Rural Development Peter Thabethe; former Free State agriculture department head Limakatso Moorosi; and former Free State agriculture department CFO Seipati Dlamini.
The ID alleges that the accused colluded to divert funds meant for rural development in the province to Islandsite Investments 180, a company owned and controlled by the Gupta family.
Sharma was denied bail, but Thabethe, Moorosi, and Dlamini were released on R10 000 bail each.
The other accused listed on the charge sheet are not in South Africa.
Patel was released on R10 000 bail and is expected back in court on 5 July with his co-accused.