South africans are going to have to wait a bit longer before they see anyone prosecuted over the Gupta email leaks that saw a number of politicians implicated in ties to the Gupta family.
Insiders are predicting a wait of almost two years before anything actually happens.
The City Press reported on Sunday that three teams of prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA's) Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU) have been tasked with providing prosecutorial guidance to the police's cybercrimes unit and the Hawks' Anti-Corruption Task Team (ACTT).
Prosecutors told the newspaper that it would be difficult to admit the emails as evidence as they are believed to be stolen.
"In order for us to use them, we need to check their authenticity and how they were obtained. As they stand now, we cannot just take them as evidence and make a decision to either prosecute or not prosecute. One of the concerns is that they may have been tampered with," they said.
Even with the Guptas themselves denying the authenticity of the emails, several politicians have come forward to confirm their authenticity.
These include Communications Minister Ayanda Dlodlo, who admitted that she took a trip to Dubai, courtesy of the Guptas and North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo, who was cited as a visitor to the Gupta's home in Saxonwold, reported City Press.
Another issue that would prolong the process is the fact that the evidence also remains with the people implicated in the emails. Obtaining the evidence would be an uphill battle that involved processes such as obtaining search warrants and copying of servers.
"There will be no action based on what I have seen. If any action will be taken against those implicated in this matter, it will only happen after two years at the earliest," said one of the prosecutors.