R24.9m Nulane corruption case re-enrolled after 2025 SCA ruling
· Citizen
The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has re-enrolled the R24.9 million Nulane Investment corruption case after the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) overturned its earlier withdrawal in June 2025.
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The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) IDAC announced the news on Thursday. The case was re-enrolled at the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on 4 June 2026.
IDAC re-enrolled R24.9m Nulane case on Thursday
This comes after SCA Judge Cagney John Musi handed down judgment in June 2025. The ruling favoured the state to reinstate the matter.
The case is based on allegations that R24.9 million was paid to Nulane Investment. The payment was for a feasibility study for the Free State province’s flagship Mohoma Mobung project, which paved the way for the controversial Estina/Vrede dairy project.
The provincial government contracted Nulane based on its unique skills to perform the work.
The state alleged that Nulane had no employees on its books. It, in fact, subcontracted Deloitte to produce the report, for which Deloitte was paid R1.5 million.
It’s alleged that the only change made to the Deloitte report was the identification of Paras Dairy. Paras was named as a suitable implementing partner for the development of a milk processing plant in Vrede.
IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the case was re-enrolled after the accused’s bid to have the Constitutional Court overturn the SCA’s ruling was also dismissed.
Accused appeared in court
The accused are Iqbal Sharma and his company, Nulane Investment; former head of Free State Department of Agriculture (FSDoA) Peter Thabethe; former head of FSDoA Limakatso Moorosi; former FSDoA Chief Financial Officer Seipati Dhlamini; Ronica Ragavan and the company she represents, owned by the Guptas, Islandsite Investment; and Dinesh Patel, who is Sharma’s brother-in-law and a representative of Nulane Investment.
Mamothame said all the accused were present in court on Thursday after they were issued summonses.
The court postponed the matter to 22 September for the disclosure of the docket.
The Nulane case was the first state-capture case from IDAC to be brought to trial.
It is also the same case in which the South African government failed to extradite Atul and Rajesh Gupta from the UAE. They were to face charges of fraud and money laundering.
Additional reporting by Faizel Patel and Thapelo Lekabe