Mahatma Gandhi's 56-year-old great-granddaughter has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a Durban court after being convicted of money laundering in South Africa for 6 million rand (approximately Rs 3.33 crore).
Mahatma Gandhi's great-granddaughter Ashish Lata Ramkopin was convicted by a Durban court on Monday.
In this case, he was accused of defrauding industrialist S R Maharaj of South Africa's Rand 6.2 million (Rs 3.33 crore) by offering to import goods from India without tariff. In addition, he has been promised a share of the profits.The Durban Special Commercial Criminal Court has convicted and convicted Lata Ramgopin, daughter of prominent human rights activist Ela Gandhi and late Mewa Ramgopin. It has also refused permission to appeal the sentence.
When the trial in the case against Lata Ramgopin began in 2015, Brigadier Hangwani Mulatsi of the National Bar Commission (NBA) said he was accused of sending three hand loom containers from India and providing fake invoices and documents to convince investors.At the time, Lata Ramco's 50,000 rand was released on bail for South African money
In this case, during the hearing on Monday, it was announced that Lata Ramco's New Africa Alliance met director of footwear distributors Maharaj in August 2015. The company imports and sells clothing, hand looms and shoes.
Maharaj's company also provides funds to other companies on a profit-share basis.Lata Ramkopin had told Maharaj that the South African hospital team had imported 3 container fabrics to netker."He said he faced financial problems for import costs and payment of customs duty. Moreover, he needed money to pick up the goods at the port," NBA spokesperson Natasha Kara said on Monday.
Lata Ramcon advised Maharaj that she needed 6.2 rand million. "Later that month, Lata sent a note of netcare invoice and distribution to Maharaj .It was evidence of the supply of goods and payments," he said.
Kara said Lata Ramco's "confirmed from Netcare's bank account that the payment had been made."Maharaj had signed a written agreement for the loan with Ramcopin due to his family reputation and netcare documents.
However, after Maharaj found out that the documents were forged and net care had no arrangements with Lata Ramgopin, he made criminal charges.
He was the founder and managing director of the Participatory Development Initiative at The International Centre for Non-Violence by Ramco. There he called himself an activist focusing on environmental, social and political interests.
Many of Mahatma Gandhi's other successors are human rights activists, among them Lata Ramgopin's relatives Keerthi Menon, late Satish Dubelia and Uma Dubelia-Mestri.Lata Ramgopin's mother Ela Gandhi is internationally recognized for her activities, especially national honours from India and South Africa.