South African corruption investigator, son murdered

Experienced accountant Cloete Murray and his son were murdered to death as they were investigating high-level corruption allegations in South Africa.

According to a Monday BBC report, the 50-year-old was the liquidator for Bosasa, a business involved in a number of scandals involving government contracts.

Also, he worked as a liquidator for businesses tied to the powerful Gupta family, who reject allegations of bribery.

To determine if there is a connection between Murray's death and these corruption investigations, police will launch an inquiry.

According to the BBC, Murray was shot on Saturday while driving in Johannesburg with his 28-year-old legal adviser son Thomas.

Thomas passed away at the site, but Murray was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to gunshot wounds, according to a police official quoted in the local media.

According to South African media, the couple was travelling in their white Toyota Prado toward their Pretoria home, according to the BBC.

The investigator's duties as a court-appointed company liquidator included looking into the books of failed businesses, recovering assets, and disclosing any criminal activity.

Bosasa, a government contractor with a focus on prison services, was one of those businesses.

During the nine years of former President Jacob Zuma's administration, from 2009 to 2018, the firm received substantial bribes from politicians and government officials in order to obtain government contracts, according to the landmark Zondo committee investigating corruption.

Zuma declined to corporate with the investigation but has refuted claims of wrongdoing.

The current president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, declared in 2018 that he will pay back a $35,000 (£27,300) gift from Bosasa.

He had misled parliament about the donation, an anti-corruption investigator found, but the country's High Court overturned that conclusion.

After Bosasa entered voluntary liquidation after banks stopped its accounts, Ramaphosa has also been accused of more acts of corruption, which he rejects.

In addition, Murray served as a liquidator for businesses connected to the Gupta family. The Ajay, Rajesh, and Atul brothers attempted to sway political and financial choices during the Zuma administration through a practice known as "state capture," according to the Zondo commission.

The Gupta family relocated from India to South Africa in 1993. They were the owners of a diverse portfolio of businesses that had lucrative contracts with state-owned firms and government agencies in that country.

The Gupta brothers have been detained in the United Arab Emirates, but the South African government is seeking to bring them home so they may face prosecution there.

They have refuted claims that they paid bribes to obtain contracts.