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Top South African corruption investigator shot dead

A South African accountant who was investigating high-level corruption cases has been shot dead along with his son.

Cloete Murray, 50, was the liquidator for Bosasa, a company implicated in numerous government contract scandals.

He also worked as a liquidator for firms linked to the wealthy Gupta brothers, who deny bribery accusations.

Police will see if there is a link between Mr Murray’s murder and these corruption investigations.

Mr Murray was shot by unknown gunmen while driving in Johannesburg with his 28-year-old son Thomas, a legal adviser, on Saturday.

His son died at the scene while Mr Murray was taken to hospital and later died of his injuries, local media reported, citing a police spokesperson.

The pair were driving their white Toyota Prado towards their home in Pretoria, South African media reported.

Mr Murray’s job as a court-appointed company liquidator was to look into the accounts of firms that had folded, recover assets, and report any criminality.

One of those companies was Bosasa, a government contractor specialising in prison services.

The landmark Zondo commission into corruption concluded the company extensively bribed politicians and government officials to get government contracts during the nine-year presidency of Jacob Zuma, from 2009 to 2018.

Mr Zuma refused to co-operate with the inquiry but has denied accusations of corruption.

In 2018, current South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said he would repay a $35,000 (£27,300) donation from Bosasa.

An anti-corruption investigator found he had misled parliament over the donation, but that finding was dismissed by the country’s High Court.

Mr Ramaphosa has also faced other corruption allegations, which he denies.

Bosasa went into voluntary liquidation after banks closed its accounts.

Mr Murray was also working as a liquidator for firms linked to the Gupta brothers. The Zondo commission found that the brothers – Ajay, Rajesh and Atul – tried to influence political and economic decisions during Mr Zuma’s presidency in a process known as “state capture”.

The Guptas moved from India to South Africa in 1993 and owned a wide-ranging portfolio of companies that enjoyed lucrative contracts with South African government departments and state-owned companies.

The South African authorities are currently working on having the Gupta brothers extradited from the UAE, where they have been arrested, to stand trial.

They have denied accusations of paying financial bribes to win contracts.

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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