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The Gupta network of shady and illegal dealings has been dealt a pretty serious blow, with the US government hitting the family with financial sanctions that see all of their US assets frozen.

The sanctions also prohibit any American citizen from doing business with the Gupta family, as well as Salim Essa, a South African businessman who deals closely with them.

The US announcement of the sanctions was clearly coordinated with our government, as Minister of Justice Ronald Lamola was quick to issue a statement praising the US action.

More from the Daily Maverick:

These sanctions cast a broad net because of the extensive reach of the US financial system and usually have the effect of strongly discouraging business associates anywhere in the world from doing business with designated individuals just in case such transactions may have some US link, or are conducted in US dollars

“The Gupta family leveraged its political connections to engage in widespread corruption and bribery, capture government contracts, and misappropriate state assets. Treasury’s designation targets the Guptas’ pay-to-play political patronage, which was orchestrated at the expense of the South African people,” said Sigal Mandelker, Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.

“The Guptas and Essa have used their influence with prominent politicians and parties to line their pockets with ill-gotten gains. We will continue to exclude from the U.S. financial system those who profit from corruption.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also sent out this tweet:

Cool. Now do America’s first family.

From the US Treasury website’s announcement of the sanctions, here’s their background on the Gupta family:

Ajay, Atul, and Rajesh Gupta immigrated to South Africa in the 1990s, and due in large part to their generous donations to a political party and their reportedly close relationship with former South African President Jacob Zuma, their business interests expanded.  The family has been implicated in several corrupt schemes in South Africa, allegedly stealing hundreds of millions of dollars through illegal deals with the South African government, obfuscated by a shadowy network of shell companies and associates linked to the family.

Alright – so when does the US sanction Jacob Zuma and his family?

We should applaud the latest sanctions from the US, given that they will hit the Guptas where it hurts, but as long as that family isn’t behind bars, the law has failed us.

[sources:dailymaverick&treasury]