AFU GRANTED AN ORDER TO FORFEIT MORE THAN R500 000

Monday 03 August 2020,16:43pm/ Mandla Nkosi

NPA Spokesperson Phaladi Shuping: image supplied 

Bloemfontein: The Free State High Court Judge President Cagney Musi has granted the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) in the NPA an order to forfeit an amount of R511 162   that was in an FNB account belonging to Phemelo Maditla.

NPA spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said on September 13 in 2019, Pieterjan Du Plessis of Roadmac Surfing (PTY) received two invoices and a credit note from Heinrich Strauss of Job SA Engineering and Management as payment for services that were rendered by SA Job Engineering for Roadmac.

He said Du Plessis signed the invoices and the credit note and sent them to Roadmac.

“On September 18 in 2019, Anthea Glenda van Wyk of Roadmac received an email instructing her to make payment into a new FNB account.

Van Wyk, on the strength of the email, the FNB letter she received and a confirmation from Du Plessis about the new banking details, deposited an amount of R1 906 000 into a fraudulent bank account depicted on the email,” Shuping said.

He added that on 25 September, Straus enquired from Roadmac about the payment and Van Wyk sent him proof of payment after which he informed her that the funds were paid into a wrong account, as he never sent an email regarding change in their banking details.

“The matter was reported to the police for investigation, the police involved the AFU and Financial Intelligence Centre to investigate the flow of funds.

FIC investigation revealed that the bank account was opened on 12 September 2019 and the only funds deposited in the account were R1.9 million that was meant for Roadmac,” said Shuping.

He said the funds were used for point of sale for various items between 19 and 27 September 2019.

“The AFU applied for a preservation order on an urgent basis on 6 November last year and froze R511 162that was left in the account.

Then applied for a forfeiture order that was granted on Thursday.

Advocate Eugene Ontong proved that Maditla opened the account and used it as a conduit to receive proceeds of crime, which she was not entitled to and the money will be paid to Roadmac,” Shuping said.

He said Maditla had intercepted email communication between Van Wyk and Du Plessis and sent a fake email requesting the money to be paid into a wrong account.

“He was arrested in January 2020 and is still in custody, he will appear again in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on 28 August 2020,” said Shuping.