Nine accused, Louis Petrus Liebenberg (60) his wife Desiree Liebenberg (50), Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans (54), Johannes Petrus Badenhorst (41), Helena Dorothea Amy Schulenburg (59), Adriaan Dewald Strydom (35), Christelle Badenhorst (42), Nicolize van Heerden (58) and Walter Niendinger (55) appeared at the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate's Court.
They are facing charges of 42 counts of fraud (alternatively theft), five counts of racketeering, six counts of money laundering and various statutory offences, including contraventions of the Companies Act. More counts will be formulated and added at a later stage.
It is alleged that Louis Liebenberg registered 15 companies where his ex-girlfriend Kleynhans and the rest of the accused who are either family members or have close relations, were directors. In 2020 Louis Petrus Liebenberg and Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans registered a company styled Tariomix where they were both directors. Another company styled Forever Zircon was registered in 2021. Both these companies were purportedly involved in buying and selling diamonds. Potential investors were lured through social media and radio interviews to invest in the buying and selling of diamonds and were also promised high returns over a short period of time using a cashless platform called AE Switch. Thousands of investors made payments into the platform amounting to approximately R4.5 billion.
The accused utilised the proceeds of the diamond investment scheme to purchase movable and immovable assets, including 2 mines, various motor vehicles, a Ford Bakkie, BMW 230i sport, Toyota Agya, Kruger rands and silver coins and pay for Liebenberg's lavish wedding and honeymoon in Greece. Various immovable properties, including an office block was purchased.
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When some investors did not receive the promised payments, they became suspicious and reported the matter to the SAPS suspecting that they were defrauded. The investigation is conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), together with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC), Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU), Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) and the NPA's Organised Crime Unit. The multi-agency approach to the prosecutor-guided investigations yielded the important breakthrough in this syndicated commercial crime.
The matter falls within Schedule 5 of the Criminal Procedure Act. The State however did not oppose bail in respect of Accused 2 Kleynhans, 4 Schulenburg and 8 Niedinger.
Accused 2 and 4 were released on R20 000 while accused 8 was released on 100 000 with condition that they surrender their passports to the investigating officer.
The matter has been remanded to 31 October 2024 for a formal bail application in respect of the other accused.
This case is an example of what can be achieved when stakeholders participate in the fight against organised crime.
