Cape Town – A Gupta-owned company had goods attached by the sheriff of the court on Wednesday, according to a law firm.
JIC Mining Services’ non-executive board includes Rajesh Gupta and President Jacob Zuma’s son, Duduzane Zuma.
According to Adams & Adams attorneys, the attachment order came into effect after the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) found that mining captain, Clinton Cilliers, had been unlawfully dismissed.
The sheriff of the high court had proceeded to attach a number of moveable goods from the company’s premises, it said in a statement.
Attachment is a legal process whereby property is seized in anticipation of a favourable ruling for a plaintiff who claims to be owed money by the defendant.
The Commissioner found that representatives of JIC had lied during the arbitration proceedings in order to postpone payment, said Adams & Adams lawyer Jean-Paul Rudd.
"JIC was later ordered to pay the employee’s costs in respect of the postponement."
According to Rudd, Cilliers was dismissed by JIC a year ago after the company lodged a complaint against him, claiming gross misrepresentation, dishonesty, and dereliction of duties.
The Commissioner dismissed the charges against Cilliers.
In compliance with the Commissioner’s ruling, Cilliers returned to work on March 4 2015, but was refused access to the workplace, according to Rudd.
"Cilliers is now heavily indebted following the protracted battle with his former employers."
JIC has also lodged an application for a review of the ruling in the Labour Court.
“Unfortunately, the review has been conducted in a tardy manner, with JIC showing no intention of finalising the proceedings with the necessary haste required by the law,” said Rudd.
JIC Mining Services is now threatening to launch an urgent application to stay the execution.