Fourteen individuals, including a former Nedbank employee, have been detained for R157 million of fraud.
The suspects, ages 25 to 47, were apprehended on Tuesday in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Krugersdorp by the Gauteng Serious Commercial Crime Investigation of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, better known as the Hawks.
Colonel Katlego Mogale, spokesperson for the Hawks, confirmed the charges of fraud and money laundering against them.
“It is reported that the main suspect unlawfully made payments from suspense accounts valued at over R157 million which were further transferred to recipients who were not entitled to receive such monies,” Mogale said in a statement.
“The recipients involved are 23 including 15 individuals, seven entities and six banks,” Mogale added.
Mogale said the suspects were expected to make their first appearance in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
On Monday, a 29-year-old North West woman was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after she defrauded clients a staggering R3.7 million after promising them low-priced luxury vehicles imported from the United States.
Nachy Britz was sentenced by the Brits Magistrate’s Court on after she was found guilty of two counts of fraud.
Provincial Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula, said between 2016 and 2018, Britz defrauded unsuspecting victims by tricking them into believing that she was a legitimate businesswoman who imports luxury vehicles from the US at a reasonable price.
“The victims showed interest in some of the vehicles that Britz presented to them. One victim paid Britz over R2.9 million to import Ford Mustangs and Harley Davidson motorcycles.
“Another victim, who entered into a business partnership with her, paid over R800,000 to import the vehicles,” said Mathebula.
Mathebula said that during investigations, it was discovered that Britz created different email accounts from which she would communicate with the victims giving them progress reports about their imported vehicles.
“After failing to fulfil her promise, she was confronted by the victims who demanded their monies back,” said Mathebula.
Mathebula said Britz managed to pay back some complainants and they dropped the charges against her.
“However, she failed to pay back two victims, whom she still owes R2.9 million and R800,000 respectively.”
Mathebula said after making a series of court appearances, she was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for each count of fraud.
