Latest news with #PreventionofOrganisedCrimeAct
IOL News
6 days ago
- IOL News
Accused hitman requests to share cell with fellow inmates due to depressive solitary confinement
Abubaker Adams, left, with Shireen Matthews in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court. Image: Independent Newspapers The alleged hitman accused of murder inside the Wynberg Magistrate's Court says a single cell is too 'depressive' and wants to move back in with other inmates at Pollsmoor Prison. Abubaker Adams is one of the five accused, along with Shireen Matthews, Brian Booysen, Wanay Farao and Vuyisani Zengetha, charged with the premeditated murder of Dingalomoya Chintso on April 7. The five were back in court on Thursday, where they allegedly executed the hit on Chintso on the fourth floor of the same building. The accused face charges in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA) for aiding and abetting criminal gang activities in association with the Junky Funky Kidz (JFK) gang, premeditated murder, and the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition. The court was expected to start with the bail applications of the accused. However, Adams's legal representation, attorney Kevin van Vught, asked the court to make provisions with the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) to have his client placed in a communal cell. Van Vught said: 'On the last occasion at court [Adams] was injured at court and apparently fell down the stairs. The situation was so bad that an ambulance was summoned and he had to be taken to hospital, but was not taken. He received no medical treatment at hospital, however, he was placed in a single cell and unfortunately he finds the solitary confinement extremely depressive and is having a consultation with a psychologist [today:Fri].' Shireen (far left) and Wanay (far right) to apply for bail. Image: Kim Swartz Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel. The magistrate said that most inmates want to be in a single cell, however, Adams wants to be where it is populated. The magistrate said that she can only order that DCS checks on him at the Pollsmoor hospital as the court has no powers to instruct DCS on where to keep inmates in a prison. Meanwhile, the court only heard that Matthews, the alleged mastermind, and Farao, the alleged firearm smuggler, would apply for bail. The case was postponed to June 6. Cape Argus
Eyewitness News
23-05-2025
- Eyewitness News
While fraud charges provisionally withdrawn, Ralph Stanfield, Nicole Johnson not off the hook
JOHANNESBURG - The State said while it had provisionally withdrawn fraud charges against alleged 28s gang boss, Ralph Stanfield, and his wife, Nicole Johnson, it doesn't mean they're off the hook. Stanfield, Johnson, former City of Cape Town Human Settlements MMC Malusi Booi, and nine others were implicated in a R1 billion tender fraud within the City of Cape Town. ALSO READ: Supporters of alleged 28s gang boss Stanfield call for his prison release The State provisionally withdrew the charges against them in this case at the Cape Town Magistrates Court on Friday. However, the notorious couple and 12 others still have a string of gang charges to answer to. The prosecution is accusing Stanfield, Johnson and 12 others of being involved in four murders and other string of crimes under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. The murders include those of City of Cape Town official Wendy Kloppers, former Hard Livings gang boss, Rashied Staggie, 27s gang boss, William "Red" Stevens, a police officer based in Parliament, and one other murder. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said: "The court has postponed the case against the remaining accused until 14 July 2025 to ensure that the State has provided all further particulars to the defence before the case is transferred to the high court for a pretrial conference." A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for 7 November at the Western Cape High Court.
TimesLIVE
23-05-2025
- TimesLIVE
Charges provisionally withdrawn against '28s gang boss' and ex housing MMC in R1bn housing tender case
The prosecution provisionally withdrew fraud charges on Friday against alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield and former human settlements MMC Malusi Booi linked to R1bn worth of tenders related to housing in Cape Town. Stanfield was charged with his wife Nicole Johnson, Booi, and several others. The group was arrested in September and Booi was granted R250,000 bail. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said provincial director of public prosecutions advocate Nicollette Bell provisionally withdrew the charges 'pending the finalisation of an investigation on newfound evidence against them'. 'Advocate Bell also provisionally withdrew the charges against Suraya Manuel, Muhammed Amod, Randal Mullins, Brenda Mullins, Thuli Imgib, Nomvuyo Mnyaka, Lorna Ndoda, Siphokazi September, Kyle Stanfield, Barbara Johnson and Pakamisa Nondabula,' he said. 'Police discovered new evidence during their investigation, and it is apposite at this stage to provisionally withdraw the 16 commercial charges against the accused pending the finalisation of the investigation stemming from the newfound evidence. The state will reinstate the charges once the investigation has been finalised.' Ntabazalila said Stanfield, Johnson, Johannes Abrahams, Denver Booysen, Jose Brandt, Jonathan Cloete, Shakeel Pelston, Imtiyaas Sedick, Warren Lee Dennis, Michael Morris, Chevonne McNabb, Sharazaadt Essop, Brandon Cornelius and Keithan Gardiner would be indicted in the high court in Cape Town for alleged gang-related offences including allegedly contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act. Ntabazalila said this related to the murders of city official Wendy Kloppers, Rashied Staggie, William Stevens, Faizel Adams and Ismail Abrahams. Kloppers was shot at a housing development site in February 2023. Staggie was an infamous gang boss. He was killed outside his Salt River home, in Cape Town, in 2019 shortly after his release from prison. His twin brother, Rashaad, with whom he founded the notorious Hard Livings gang, was killed on the same street more than 20 years ago. 'The court postponed the case against the remaining accused until July 14 to ensure the state has provided all further particulars to the defence before the case is transferred to the high court for a pretrial conference on November 7,' said Ntabazalila.
Daily Maverick
16-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Maverick
Suspected crime boss Stanfield's wife, Nicole Johnson, spends R5m on Sea Point flat while in prison
Nicole Johnson, the wife of suspected organised crime boss Ralph Stanfield and herself accused of racketeering and helping run a violent criminal enterprise, bought an unbonded R5-million flat on the Atlantic Seaboard from a renowned Cape Town property developer. The transaction raises questions about the extent to which property deals remain vulnerable to money laundering, especially in a time of increased focus on estate agents and lawyers meeting anti-money laundering obligations. Investigations by amaBhungane have highlighted a legal loophole whereby developers who make direct sales without using estate agents as intermediaries seemingly do not have to be registered with the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) as accountable institutions. These developers, therefore, have no obligation to perform any due diligence on clients, although they do still need to report transactions they have reason to believe are suspicious. While the criminal reputation of Stanfield and Johnson precedes them, neither the conveyancers, Smith Tabata Buchanan Boyes (STBB), nor the property developer, Blok, which was directly involved in last year's sale, appear to have been put off by the couple's notoriety or the fact that Johnson purchased her Sea Point flat while in prison awaiting trial. Johnson and Stanfield, who have been charged under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, have been held in Cape Town's Pollsmoor and Brandvlei prisons respectively since their highly publicised arrest in September 2023. They were arrested at their multimillion-rand Constantia home in Cape Town on suspicion of running a criminal enterprise, which has allegedly ensnared several senior local government officials. Collectively they face more than 100 criminal charges, including racketeering, money laundering, corruption, fraud, theft, extortion, murder, attempted murder and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Some of the charges relate to their alleged involvement in a R1-billion social housing development tender fraud scheme for the construction of homes in some of Cape Town's poorest communities. Johnson runs numerous companies, including Glomix House Brokers (GHB), which the couple allegedly used to secure contracts linked to the tender. In March 2024 the National Treasury blacklisted GHB from doing business with the government for 10 years. The blacklisting was loudly trumpeted by the City of Cape Town as a major success in its fightback campaign against the construction mafia, which for years has laid siege to its infrastructure development projects. AmaBhungane has learnt that six months later, on 2 September 2024, Johnson bought a two-bedroom apartment in Sea Point from Blok, one of Cape Town's most renowned urban renewal property developers. She was able to do this while sitting in Pollsmoor as a prisoner awaiting trial. While amaBhungane is not suggesting that STBB or Blok failed to comply with any Financial Intelligence Centre Act (Fica) money-laundering reporting obligations, or that the money Johnson used to buy her flat was from the proceeds of crime, the sale shines a light on estate agents' – and potentially property developers' – compliance levels with laws to combat money laundering and terrorism financing, as well as the current difficulties the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) faces in ensuring such compliance and the gaps in legislation specifically designed to combat these crimes. The source of the money, as well as whether it was paid directly by Johnson from her bank account or via a third party, is unknown. Her lawyer, Luzuko Guma, did not respond to amaBhungane's email and WhatsApp requests for comment. Blok and STBB would not discuss any details of the transaction, citing client confidentiality and FIC secrecy provisions while insisting that they had complied with their obligations. As we'll see, however, what these were in the case of Blok may be somewhat unclear. The sale Since its founding in 2014 by father and son Marco and Jacques van Embden, Blok has become known for its award-winning projects, with the company specialising in high-end compact apartment developments in Cape Town's City Bowl and Sea Point. Of the company's 20 developments, it was its Eighty2 on M apartment building that caught Johnson's eye. According to the company's website, the block on Sea Point's Main Road is an 'apartment hotel… where luxury meets sustainability' and offers 'bold architectural design, energy-efficient living spaces and community-oriented features'. The majority of the apartments in the building are rented out as short-term stays. While the exact details of the transaction through which Johnson purchased her eighth-floor unit facing Lion's Head and Signal Hill are unknown, what amaBhungane has gleaned is that she paid R5,016,000 for the 77m² flat, that the purchase was unbonded and made through a cash transfer, and that the unit was registered in her name on 20 November 2024. Property records show that Johnson bought the unit from Blok's Urban Living 4, which is registered as a separate business entity and which developed the Eighty2 on M apartment building. When developing apartments, Blok appears to register separate business entities. The company's registered estate agency business, Blok Urban Apartment Living (UAL), is responsible for marketing and facilitating the sale of units in the group's different developments. In trying to unpack the transaction and determine whether the financial reporting legislation was complied with, amaBhungane looked at whether Blok is registered with the FIC as an accountable institution. Accountable? Fica compels accountable institutions to carry out in-depth know-your-client analyses, understand the nature of their clients' different business relationships, alert the FIC to any suspicious transactions and, importantly, assess, mitigate and report potential money laundering or terror financing risks their businesses may face from transactions. Compliance is crucial in the government's effort to remove SA from the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list. The FATF grey list identifies countries that have deficiencies in their legislative systems that hamper the combating of money laundering and terror financing. SA was placed on the grey list in February 2023 and in February of this year, the National Treasury announced that it aimed to have SA removed from the list by October. One of the biggest stumbling blocks in removing SA from the list is the lack of successful prosecutions of money laundering cases, as well as poor Fica compliance by certain accountable institutions. In April, the FIC complained in a press release that it was struggling to get estate agents and lawyers to comply with all important Fica risk and compliance reporting obligations. The problem is compounded by a gap in the legislation. Under Fica, estate agencies are 'accountable institutions' but property developers who sell units directly to buyers without using estate agents as intermediaries fall outside the current definitions. That gap was partially closed with the repeal of the former Estate Agency Affairs Act and its replacement in February 2022 with the Property Practitioners Act, which includes property developers that perform estate agency activities by selling their developments directly to buyers. Fica, however, still needs to be amended to include the wider definition of 'property practitioners'. Back to Blok This legal blurriness was evident in our attempts to get clarity from Blok as to what extent it had considered – or even recognised – the potential red flags of a cash sale to Johnson, a prisoner awaiting trial. STBB and Blok sidestepped detailed questions, citing Fica non-disclosure provisions and the Protection of Personal Information Act. STBB director Steven Borwick, responding on behalf of Blok, said that 'in the event that our client had incurred an obligation to report an activity associated with Ms Johnson to the FIC, it will [in] any event, be precluded … by the FIC Act from disclosing such a fact to anyone. To do so constitutes a criminal offence …' Questioned on whether Blok had any Fica responsibilities, Borwick said the specific development company, Blok Urban Living 4, was 'not an accountable institution in terms of the FIC Act'. He said STBB is registered with the FIC as an accountable institution and that the company takes its responsibilities seriously. Borwick said Blok's marketing arm, UAL, provided the company with its estate agency services, but it is not clear whether UAL was involved in the Johnson transaction and, initially at least, amaBhungane was not able to get Blok to confirm that UAL was registered with the FIC. A search of the Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority website shows that UAL is a registered estate agency. As such, Fica requires, if not Blok as a whole, then at least UAL to be registered as an accountable institution. Eventually Borwick confirmed this, noting: 'I am instructed the entity is registered with FIC, registration took place in approximately 2018. Blok will not comment on business strategy and we cannot disclose details of a specific transaction without all parties' consent. No further emails or calls will be responded to.' When amaBhungane approached the FIC with the same question, the entity threw up a bureaucratic wall, saying that its register of accountable institutions was 'not a public registry'. 'The purpose of the registry … is to facilitate [the] regulation of accountable institution compliance with the FIC Act, including with their reporting obligations, in line with the FIC's mandate. 'As such, the FIC is obliged to maintain [the] confidentiality of the regulatory information that is provided to it. Furthermore, the FIC Act provides for the protection of the confidential information which the FIC holds.' This legally questionable stance, which precludes the public from knowing whether companies are complying with their mandatory responsibility to register, helps no -one – except perhaps people like Johnson. DM
IOL News
08-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Eastern Cape woman pulls off a R1. 6 million payday scam with 17 sneaky bank accounts
The Hawks in the Eastern Cape have arrested former debtor's clerk was convicted of defrauding her company of over R1.6 million. Image: Hawks A 44-year-old Eastern Cape woman was convicted on Tuesday of defrauding her employer of more than R1.6 million through a scheme involving 17 different bank accounts in her name. Nortier was convicted by the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on May 7, 2025, on charges of fraud and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, No. 121 of 1998. Provincial Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said Nortier's conviction followed her arrest by the Gqeberha-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks, in conjunction with the National Prosecuting Authority, in August 2024. Mhlakuvana said between September 2019 and November 2022, Nortier, while employed as the debtor's clerk, orchestrated fraudulent activities that prejudiced the company by exorbitant amounts of cash 'FSPA, based in Newton Park in Gqeberha, trades as a business providing administrative and secretarial support to Sectional Title and Homeowners Association clients,' he said. Mhlakuvana added the company managed 82 housing complexes in the Gqeberha region, with part of its daily functions involving the maintenance of bank accounts and general ledgers for each complex. 'The various bank accounts were managed through a joint trust account,' he said. 'Levies for each of the 82 housing complexes were paid from this account.' According to Mhlakuvana, the fraud was discovered on November 2, 2022, when a complaint was made after a refund of levies to two different owners was paid into the same bank account. 'Probing revealed that Nortier had 17 different bank accounts in her name wherein she diverted monies that were due to the clients, thus prejudicing the company more than R1.6 million, hence she was arrested in August 2024,' he said. Mhlakuvana said Nortier appeared in court on the day of her arrest and was released on R100 bail due to her socio-economic status. 'Nortier made numerous court appearances until her conviction by the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on May 7, 2025, and the matter was remanded to June 19, 2025, for pre-sentencing,' Mhlakuvana added. Meanwhile, the provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, praised the joint investigative team. '(They) secured a conviction and anticipated a deserving sentence against the perpetrator as it would deter criminal activities in the province,' he said. 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 ✕ In a separate incident, Syed Khurram Aftab, 24, was found guilty and fined R136,750 by the Gqeberha Magistrate's Court on May 5, 2025, for contravening the Counterfeit Goods Act. Aftab had been served with a summons by the Hawks in April 2025. Mhlakuvana said that on March 18, 2025, Spoor & Fisher Attorneys, a firm specialising in trademark matters and anti-counterfeiting, received a complaint about counterfeit Apple iPhone goods being sold at MOD Tech shop in Walmer, Gqeberha. 'Subsequently, the law firm surveilled the cellular shop to ascertain the ferocity of the crime,' he said. 'According to the reports, a representative from attorneys purchased the items and analysed them, which were proved to be counterfeited,' he added. Mhlakuvana said the lawyers conducted tests on the items, which represented Apple Inc., headquartered in the United States. 'The matter was officially reported to the SCCI of the Hawks for further investigation,' he said. 'On March 28, 2025, the investigating team of the Hawks executed a search and seizure warrant which authorised the investigators to search at the aforementioned shop.'
