Visa firm VFS Global says a company it is associated with has a similar name to one linked to the Gupta family – but they are not the same.
“VFS Global or its affiliates have no association with the Gupta family whatsoever.
“It is a case of mistaken identity and has posed serious reputational damage to VFS Global‚” the company said in a statement.
VFS Global‚ which charges administrative fees for receiving and managing visa and permit applications‚ was linked to Duduzane Zuma and Rajesh Gupta by the Democratic Alliance’s spokesman for home affairs‚ Haniff Hoosen‚ who made the allegation during a question to Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba in Parliament last Friday.
VFS Global was awarded a R1 billion tender in 2010 to process visa applications for the Department of Home Affairs. “On the face of it‚ it all looks legitimate‚ but when a traveller makes a payment to VFS a receipt is issued‚ and that receipt is in the name of a company called Islandsite Investments and the directors of that company are two very famous people‚ Duduzane Zuma and Rajesh Gupta‚” Hoosen said.
The department has denied the allegation‚ and Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni told a briefing in Boksburg on Monday that: “We wish to discourage baseless accusations that impact negatively on the department’s integrity‚ especially given the critical role of the department”.
Explaining its business‚ VFS Global said it has operations in 123 countries across five continents. In South Africa‚ it has been operating for over a decade through its entity‚ VFS Visa Processing (SA)‚ with 330 staff.
VFS Global‚ by way of its joint venture with the Tasheel group‚ manages the Saudi visa application centres on behalf of the Saudi Arabia Government‚ in South Africa‚ the company said.
“VFS Tasheel RSA PTY has a separate management and is not controlled by VFS Visa Processing (SA) (Pty) in any manner.”
VFS Tasheel was registered in South Africa through KPMG SA. KPMG SA had formed the company known as Islandsite Investments 309 PTY in 2012‚ which was later changed to VFS Tasheel in May 2014 when the company started its operations. The directors of this company are Raman Sodhi and Dean Meyer.
“Islandsite Investments 309 PTY has no links whatsoever to Islandsite Investments 255 PTY (the company owned by the Guptas).
“There are currently 61 differently numbered companies registered as Islandsite Investments on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) database‚” VFS Global said.
VFS Global denies links to Gupta family‚ cites mistaken identity
“VFS Global or its affiliates have no association with the Gupta family whatsoever.
“It is a case of mistaken identity and has posed serious reputational damage to VFS Global‚” the company said in a statement.
VFS Global‚ which charges administrative fees for receiving and managing visa and permit applications‚ was linked to Duduzane Zuma and Rajesh Gupta by the Democratic Alliance’s spokesman for home affairs‚ Haniff Hoosen‚ who made the allegation during a question to Home Affairs Minister Malusi Gigaba in Parliament last Friday.
VFS Global was awarded a R1 billion tender in 2010 to process visa applications for the Department of Home Affairs. “On the face of it‚ it all looks legitimate‚ but when a traveller makes a payment to VFS a receipt is issued‚ and that receipt is in the name of a company called Islandsite Investments and the directors of that company are two very famous people‚ Duduzane Zuma and Rajesh Gupta‚” Hoosen said.
The department has denied the allegation‚ and Home Affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni told a briefing in Boksburg on Monday that: “We wish to discourage baseless accusations that impact negatively on the department’s integrity‚ especially given the critical role of the department”.
Explaining its business‚ VFS Global said it has operations in 123 countries across five continents. In South Africa‚ it has been operating for over a decade through its entity‚ VFS Visa Processing (SA)‚ with 330 staff.
VFS Global‚ by way of its joint venture with the Tasheel group‚ manages the Saudi visa application centres on behalf of the Saudi Arabia Government‚ in South Africa‚ the company said.
“VFS Tasheel RSA PTY has a separate management and is not controlled by VFS Visa Processing (SA) (Pty) in any manner.”
VFS Tasheel was registered in South Africa through KPMG SA. KPMG SA had formed the company known as Islandsite Investments 309 PTY in 2012‚ which was later changed to VFS Tasheel in May 2014 when the company started its operations. The directors of this company are Raman Sodhi and Dean Meyer.
“Islandsite Investments 309 PTY has no links whatsoever to Islandsite Investments 255 PTY (the company owned by the Guptas).
“There are currently 61 differently numbered companies registered as Islandsite Investments on the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) database‚” VFS Global said.
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