South African anti-corruption investigator assassinated

• Mr. Murray’s responsibility as a court-appointed company liquidator was to investigate the accounts of failed businesses.
• Mr. Murray was shot by unknown assailants.
• Mr. Murray was transported to the hospital and eventually died from his injuries.

A South African accountant and his son were killed while investigating high-level corruption crimes.

Cloete Murray, 50, was the liquidator for Bosasa, a corporation embroiled in a slew of government contracting scandals.

He also served as a liquidator for companies tied to the rich Gupta brothers, who deny any wrongdoing.

Authorities will investigate whether there is a connection between Mr. Murray’s death and these corruption probes.

On Saturday, Mr. Murray was shot by unknown assailants while driving in Johannesburg with his 28-year-old son Thomas, a legal adviser.

His kid died at the scene, while Mr. Murray was transported to the hospital and eventually died from his injuries, according to local media and a police spokesperson.

According to South African media, the couple was driving their white Toyota Prado toward their home in Pretoria.

Mr. Murray’s responsibility as a court-appointed company liquidator was to investigate the accounts of failed businesses, collect assets, and report any illegal activity.

Bosasa, a government contractor specializing in prison services, was one of the companies.

The landmark Zondo committee investigating corruption concluded that the firm bought politicians and government officials extensively to obtain government contracts during Jacob Zuma’s nine-year administration, from 2009 to 2018.

Mr. Zuma has refused to cooperate with the investigation but has denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

In 2018, current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that he will refund Bosasa’s $35,000 (£27,300) gift.

An anti-corruption investigation determined he lied to parliament about the donation, but the country’s High Court overturned that verdict.

Mr. Ramaphosa has also been accused of corruption, which he rejects.

Bosasa went into voluntary liquidation when its bank accounts were closed.

Mr. Murray was also a liquidator for companies associated with the Gupta brothers. The Zondo commission determined that the brothers – Ajay, Rajesh, and Atul – sought to influence political and economic decisions during Mr. Zuma’s administration in a practice known as “state capture”.

The Guptas relocated from India to South Africa in 1993, where they established a diverse portfolio of businesses that had lucrative contracts with South African government agencies and state-owned enterprises.

South African authorities are currently attempting to extradite the Gupta brothers from the UAE, where they have been detained, to stand trial.

They have refuted allegations that they paid monetary bribes to obtain contracts.

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