New arrests in R300 million Western Cape fraud case: Three suspects appear in court
Three suspects linked to a mammoth R300 million fraud case in the Western Cape appeared in the Vredenburg Magistrate's Court and were granted bail.
Benjamin Burger Lubbe, 85, Nicolaas Jacobus Latsky, 77, and Petrus Van Eeden Marais, 64, have been charged with fraud, contravention of the Financial Markets Act, and contravention of the Companies Act.
They were each granted bail of R10,000.
The trio was arrested by members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks), the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team based in Bellville.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
IOL News
7 hours ago
- IOL News
Durban man's bail appeal denied due to alleged R5000 bribe to witness
Durban High Court has dismissed an appeal of a bail application for man who allegedly killed his employee Image: File A murder-accused Durban man has had his appeal dismissed by the Durban High Court after the Verulam Magistrate's Court denied him bail for the second time. This is after he allegedly paid a R5,000 bribe to one of his former employees, who he allegedly tried to kill, to change a statement that he made to the police and say that he is innocent. Shirwin Nowtham is charged with murder and attempted murder of his two employees. The State alleges that Nowtham shot his employees, and one survived. According to court papers on October 4, 2024, the lower court denied him bail. He did not challenge that, but he later applied for bail on new facts, and on March 14, 2025, the same court refused his application. After that, he approached the high court to appeal the bail refusal by the lower court. The survivor, who cannot be named, made a statement to the police on September 11, 2024, in which it stated that Nowtham picked him and his colleague up in a Grey Polo, in August 2024. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ He said Nowtham was with a person named Stephen. He explained that he and his colleague worked for Nowtham and Stephen, selling drugs. On the day they were shot, the survivor said they were promised another job. As their employers fetched them in a Polo, the survivor said they were made at some stage to get out of the car. 'Nowtham then took the firearm which was inside the vehicle and shot at us,' the survivor said. When Nowtham applied for bail on new facts, he stated the continued illness of his son, his ongoing hypertension, and that the survivor has withdrawn his allegations against him. The second statement made by the survivor was on November 15, 2024, and it was not submitted in court. On November 18, 2024, the survivor made another statement where he said Nowtham called him from prison and told him to change his statement and say Stephen is the one who shot him. The survivor confirmed that he received a R5,000 payment sent through Nowtham's friend Lunga. The survivor further stated that he was promised R20,000 if he went to court on November 27, 2024, to withdraw charges against Nowtham. He said he did not want to do that. However, on November 25 and in January 2025, the survivor made other statements to different attorneys, where he said Nowtham did not shoot him. Nowtham said this was a compelling reason for him to get bail as the survivors' statement ruined the State's case. However, State said it has more evidence, including cellphone records, and that before the employee died, he told a security guard that Nowtham shot him. 'I am not persuaded that the magistrate has erred at all in coming to her decision, and I am not able to find that the conclusion that she came to was the incorrect one,' Judge Robin Mossop said. He said the evidence of the survivor that Nowtham was able to reach him and influence him was compelling evidence of Nowtham's willingness to interfere with State witnesses, a conclusion to which the magistrate correctly came to. Judge Mossop said he was unable to interfere in the decision of the magistrate.
Daily Maverick
9 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
The Weekend Wrap The IDT CEO scandal and a Power Chat with the journalist who caught it on camera. All in the weekend wrap.
Tebogo Malaka 'sting' – here's why Daily Maverick did it and what's next The action of the Independent Development Trust's CEO and her spokesperson is an assault on the fourth estate, a vital pillar of a functioning democracy, and on freedom of expression. By Pieter-Louis Myburgh and Jillian Green Suspended IDT CEO, spokesperson offer Daily Maverick journalist R60K in cash to quash investigation In possibly the most brazen act of attempted bribery ever recorded on camera in this country, the IDT's suspended CEO and the entity's spokesperson offered this journalist R60,000 in cash to bury an ongoing Daily Maverick investigation. By Pieter-Louis Myburgh Inside the investigation: Pieter-Louis Myburgh on reporting the IDT CEO bribery scandal In this episode of Power Chat, Daily Maverick's Rebecca Davis speaks with investigative journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh about his recent exposé on Independent Development Trust's suspended CEO, Tebogo Malaka, and her attempt to bribe him. Myburgh unpacks how the story developed, what led him to a face-to-face meeting with Malaka and her spokesperson in a Western Cape restaurant, and the behind-the-scenes steps taken to expose the truth. By Rebecca Davis Bribery bungle By Rico IDT CEO bribery scandal – How I ended up with R60,000 in a Dior bag Daily Maverick journalist Pieter-Louis Myburgh says he had a hunch that 'something nefarious' was afoot before his meeting with the suspended Independent Development Trust CEO and her spokesperson – who went on to offer him a wad of cash to suppress a continuing journalistic investigation. By Victoria O'Regan Deputy President Paul Mashatile caught between luxury property, a shiny diamond and a hard place The ANC's National Executive Committee broke for an hour on Sunday to deliberate on allegations of impropriety swirling around Deputy President Paul Mashatile and Human Settlements Minister Thembi Simelane. By Marianne Thamm How to unlock your UIF benefits: dodge the delays, get your money Many Unemployment Insurance Fund applicants experience frustrating delays and confusing procedures. Knowing what documents you need and how to avoid the pitfalls can save you time. By Lisakanya Venna Mapped: Where coal pollution hits hardest in South Africa Daily Maverick's geo-journalism investigation reveals how Thubelihle in Mpumalanga and other townships suffer the worst of SA's coal pollution. By Ethan van Diemen Is rugby winning the war on head injuries after concussions marred the Wallabies-Lions series? The recent series between Australia and the British & Irish Lions was filled with moments — big and small — that shaped the outcome and threw up several talking points. It also brightly put the spotlight on player welfare again after a slew of concussions. By Craig Ray Meet the 31-year-old Sowetan who compiled Joburg's first digital heritage register Johannesburg's first digital heritage register documents 90 sites, many of them unknown to the public. By Anna Cox Spend the night in sassy Soweto to catch the good vibes Day tours of the famous Johannesburg township don't quite capture its versatility and vibrancy. Stay over to experience the storied history and community, excellent food and friendly feel. By Bridget Hilton-Barber Daily Mini Crossword Quickie Play here. Eggs-istential Guilt Be Gone — here's how not to waste them Waste not, want not. Once you've used yolks for mayonnaise, transform leftover egg whites into marvellous macarons. By Anna Trapido Subscribe to First Thing to receive the Weekend Wrap in your inbox every Sunday morning. If you value the work our journalists do and want to support Daily Maverick, consider becoming a Maverick Insider. Support DM
IOL News
a day ago
- IOL News
Mystery deepens as family of missing man pleads for police action
Quinton Bradley Plaatjies. Image: Supplied Five years after a 54-year-old employee of the Department of Correctional Services took early retirement and received a payout worth millions, only to never be seen again, his sisters have said the case has gone cold despite CCTV footage obtained of a woman and man who used his bank card and his vehicle. The family revealed that R100 000 had vanished from their brother, Quinton Bradley Plaatjies's bank account. In 2021, a year after his disappearance, the family made a public appeal for help via the Cape's Cold Cases, Weekend Argus. Plaatjies went on early retirement in 2019, after being employed at the Department of Correctional Services in Somerset East, where he worked for over 35 years. Plaatjies received a payout of close to R4 million left his home prior to October 2020 to visit relatives in Nysschen Street in Bethelsdorp in Gqeberha, and was never seen again. His brand new Ford Ecosport, which he paid cash for, was found abandoned on November 7, 2020, outside Beer Shack in Beach Road, Gqeberha. Items such as his false teeth were also left behind and his car was handed over as part of evidence. The Hawks was also roped in to assist with the investigation. Plaatjes's sister, Georgina Sammy, said they were appealing for police to utilise the video footage they obtained shortly after his disappearance, which showed a woman dressed in hijab and a man, who had masks covering their faces, using his bank card at an ATM where R100 000 was withdrawn. The transaction took place between October and November 2020 near Bethelsdorp in Gqeberha. Plaatjes's bank account was also frozen. 'We as the sisters of Quinton, we strongly feel let down by the police,' Sammy said. 'In the past three years we have heard nothing about the case. 'The lady in the footage was seen withdrawing the R100 000 out of the bank card, we do not know if she was interviewed. 'We had a tip-off that she was in Uitenhage, named Noomfie. 'The Hawks detective, I questioned him whether she was found and questioned and that she held the key to the mystery of my brother. 'Where did she get the cards from my brother? 'What happened with the interrogation? 'We were told to stay quiet.' Sammy added that their brother's bank account remained frozen and that vehicle was still in the possession of the police. 'They said they are on the case and that we must leave the case in their capable hands. 'What happened to my brother's car and when can it be released? 'What about the money in his account which was frozen? 'They said the leads ended in Uitenhage. 'There is footage of a man and woman, why can't it go viral and if someone recognises her? 'What about the DNA found on the steering wheel of his car?" Chaz Thomas from Track n Trace Missing Persons Unit, who has been assisting the family for the past five years, said they understood the family's frustrations. 'DNA tests were also taken from the sisters and nothing came from that after five years,' she said. 'There have been no significant leads and he cannot just have vanished off the face of the earth. 'We hope that someone somewhere sees him and comes forward.' Previously, Brigadier Thandi Mbambo of the Hawks said they had assisted with information with the case while the Eastern Cape police added that the case was at a sensitive stage and confirmed that the vehicle had been found abandoned. New queries were sent to the Hawks and Eastern Cape police and awaits feedback. Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. Cape Argus
