British Labour Party politician and one-time anti-apartheid campaigner Peter Hain has called on the British, European, Dubai and Hong Kong financial authorities to investigate the controversial Gupta family, whom he says has accumulated vast wealth and influence under suspicious circumstances, most particularly their close relationship with President Jacob Zuma.

In a letter penned to the UK Chancellor Philip Hammond, Hain called for an investigation into corruption and money-laundering by the family.

He pointed out that in a recent visit to South Africa, it was clear to him that the country was “gripped by a political, economic and social crisis, precipitated by a vast criminal network, facilitated by the Guptas and the Zumas”.

Several multinational companies including Mckinsey, SAP, KPMG and UK based public relations agency Bell Pottinger have recently been implicated in the deepening Gupta scandal.

Hain said based on his knowledge, the majority of the illicit funds have flowed through the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.

“In both these jurisdictions, two of the UK’s largest financial institutions, Standard Chartered and HSBC have their biggest footprints,” he stated.

He also called for a review of UK financial institutions’ exposure to a hefty list of the Gupta and Zuma family, and their associates.

Included in this list are the names of eleven Guptas and eleven Zumas, including the President, his sons Duduzane and Edward, his ex-wife and Presidential hopeful Nkosazana Dlamini–Zuma, as well as a few of his wives. 

Hain said he intends to raise these issues with the President of the European Commission, as well as the financial authorities in Dubai and Hong Kong.

Dlamini-Zuma on Friday said she is not aware and has not been officially informed of the letter written by Hain which alleges financial misconduct in the form of an illicit financial flows.

She further stated that she has no links with any Gupta-associated businesses except for the finances received for the South African Person of the Year Award which she received, as is the case with other prominent South Africans.