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"contents": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gupta lieutenant and acting CEO of the Guptas’ flagship company, Oakbay Investments</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ronica Ragavan has been granted bail of R10,000. She appeared briefly in the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Friday morning, 8 October, after she was </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-28-gupta-lieutenant-ronica-ragavan-joins-list-of-accused-in-free-state-fraud-case-investigating-directorate-confirms/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">added to the list of accused</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the R24,9-million criminal case in the Free State, last week. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ragavan was scheduled to appear in court on 28 September, but failed to attend, citing medical reasons. A warrant was issued for her arrest but stayed by the court. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She is one of two directors of the Gupta-owned Islandsite Investments 180 (currently in business rescue), and has been a </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-12-07-ronica-ragavan-a-devotee-glorified-secretary-and-madam-fix-it/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">devout Gupta employee</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for over two decades. </span>\r\n\r\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-1061819 size-full\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OD-Tori-Sharma-Friday-inset-2-e1633699562611.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"593\" height=\"778\" /> Ronica Ragavan appears in Bloemfontein Regional Court on Friday, 8 October 2021. (Photo: Supplied/NPA Investigative Directorate communications)</p>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facing two counts of fraud and money laundering for her role in the Gupta enterprise, Ragavan appeared in the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Friday, in both her personal capacity as accused eight, as well as in her representative capacity as a director of Islandsite (accused seven in the case). </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She appeared alongside her co-accused, Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma, and three former Free State government employees – Peter Thabethe, Limakatso Moorosi and Seipati Dhlamini. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharma’s brother-in-law and co-accused, Dinesh Patel (Nulane Investments employee) was not in attendance due to medical reasons.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The R24,9-million criminal case emanates from a 2011 due diligence conducted for a project for the Department of Rural Development and Agriculture in the Free State. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The accused face various criminal charges, including violations of the Public Finance Management Act, fraud and money laundering. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State did not oppose bail, and on Friday morning Magistrate Mbuyiselo Didi granted Ravagan bail of R10,000.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As part of the conditions of her bail, Ragavan is not permitted to leave Gauteng without conferring or obtaining the permission of i</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nvestigating officer </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Colonel</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mandla </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mtolo. The State further requested that Ragavan surrender her passport. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ragavan’s appearance in court comes on the back of an astonishing affidavit that she filed before the Free State High Court, as part of the Gupta family’s efforts to stop a draft restraint order against Islandsite from being made final. </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in the Daily Maverick: </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-27-blame-me-not-mr-atul-ronica-ragavans-astonishing-legal-intervention-to-shield-her-gupta-boss/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blame me, not Mr Atul: Ronica Ragavan’s astonishing legal intervention to shield her Gupta boss</span></i></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court has postponed the Nulane matter provisionally to 6 December, to finalise the indictment and other preliminary matters. </span><b>DM</b>",
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"description": "<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gupta lieutenant and acting CEO of the Guptas’ flagship company, Oakbay Investments</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ronica Ragavan has been granted bail of R10,000. She appeared briefly in the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Friday morning, 8 October, after she was </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-28-gupta-lieutenant-ronica-ragavan-joins-list-of-accused-in-free-state-fraud-case-investigating-directorate-confirms/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">added to the list of accused</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in the R24,9-million criminal case in the Free State, last week. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ragavan was scheduled to appear in court on 28 September, but failed to attend, citing medical reasons. A warrant was issued for her arrest but stayed by the court. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She is one of two directors of the Gupta-owned Islandsite Investments 180 (currently in business rescue), and has been a </span><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-12-07-ronica-ragavan-a-devotee-glorified-secretary-and-madam-fix-it/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">devout Gupta employee</span></a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for over two decades. </span>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1061819\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"593\"]<img class=\"wp-image-1061819 size-full\" src=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/OD-Tori-Sharma-Friday-inset-2-e1633699562611.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"593\" height=\"778\" /> Ronica Ragavan appears in Bloemfontein Regional Court on Friday, 8 October 2021. (Photo: Supplied/NPA Investigative Directorate communications)[/caption]\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facing two counts of fraud and money laundering for her role in the Gupta enterprise, Ragavan appeared in the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Friday, in both her personal capacity as accused eight, as well as in her representative capacity as a director of Islandsite (accused seven in the case). </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">She appeared alongside her co-accused, Gupta associate Iqbal Sharma, and three former Free State government employees – Peter Thabethe, Limakatso Moorosi and Seipati Dhlamini. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sharma’s brother-in-law and co-accused, Dinesh Patel (Nulane Investments employee) was not in attendance due to medical reasons.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The R24,9-million criminal case emanates from a 2011 due diligence conducted for a project for the Department of Rural Development and Agriculture in the Free State. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The accused face various criminal charges, including violations of the Public Finance Management Act, fraud and money laundering. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The State did not oppose bail, and on Friday morning Magistrate Mbuyiselo Didi granted Ravagan bail of R10,000.</span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As part of the conditions of her bail, Ragavan is not permitted to leave Gauteng without conferring or obtaining the permission of i</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nvestigating officer </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Colonel</span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Mandla </span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mtolo. The State further requested that Ragavan surrender her passport. </span>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ragavan’s appearance in court comes on the back of an astonishing affidavit that she filed before the Free State High Court, as part of the Gupta family’s efforts to stop a draft restraint order against Islandsite from being made final. </span>\r\n\r\n<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Read in the Daily Maverick: </span></i><a href=\"https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-27-blame-me-not-mr-atul-ronica-ragavans-astonishing-legal-intervention-to-shield-her-gupta-boss/\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blame me, not Mr Atul: Ronica Ragavan’s astonishing legal intervention to shield her Gupta boss</span></i></a>\r\n\r\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The court has postponed the Nulane matter provisionally to 6 December, to finalise the indictment and other preliminary matters. </span><b>DM</b>",
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Ronica Ragavan appears in Bloemfontein Regional Court on Friday, 8 October 2021. (Photo: Supplied/NPA Investigative Directorate communications)