WATCH LIVE | State capture inquiry hears evidence related to Estina Dairy Farm

The commission of inquiry into state capture will on Thursday hear evidence from a researcher employed by Shadow World Investigations in London, Paul Edward Holden, who will provide testimony relating to the Estina Dairy Farm offshore money flows.

The commission has heard how the Free State department of agriculture did not conduct background checks on staff put in charge of the controversial Vrede dairy project — a factor which may have resulted in cows dying of malnutrition on the farm.

The admission was made by former head of department Peter Thabethe who appeared before the state capture inquiry in August 2019.

He conceded that he did not check the qualifications of staff who were brought to the site, especially that of project manager Chandrana Prasad – an Indian national who was appointed by Gupta-linked company Estina with whom the department had partnered.

“The project manager was a gentleman called Chandrana Prasad. We did not check the individuals that were brought in from site. What I had asked and what I was informed was that the gentleman that was brought in did work for the department of agriculture before in India,” said Thabethe.

TimesLIVE