The Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) has given the green light for Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to be cited as a respondent in a lawsuit filed by a family against the PIC regarding the payment of R1.35trn – funds believed to be held by the PIC.

According to the Cape Times, the legal wrangle concerns the wife and executrix of the estate of the late Abdul Surtie.

The Surtie family states that the late Surtie is the beneficiary of offshore inheritance assets, which were repatriated in 1984 after the process was initiated by the Lesotho Branch of Barclays Bank Limited.

The Surtie family has been embroiled in protracted legal proceedings in a bid to recover the money from the PIC.

They have, this week, with the assistance of Edward Koorbanally, a financial and forensic expert, obtained a Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) order allowing for the Minister to be added as a respondent.

The Absa Group is the second respondent.

In their now-amended summons to include the Minister, the claimants demand payment of R1.35trn from both the PIC and the Minister as well as interest as from 2019.

The source of the funds was from diamond mining claims and investments done with a share certificate portfolio after having been involved in commercial trade as far back as 1896.

Full Cape Times report