Durban North chartered accountant Antony Marais, who has been charged with fraud and theft, could be charged with more offences. Marais, who has since closed his offices in Ennisdale Drive, appeared in the Commercial Crime Court yesterday. He was arrested in March after allegations were made by two of his clients that he had misappropriated their money.
Yesterday, prosecutor Musa Mzelemu said six more complainants had come forward with allegations against Marais. “The complaints have only come to light now because they were initially laid with the independent regulatory board of accountants,” he said.
Mzelemu said the allegations were being investigated by Brigadier Keith Flack, a senior officer from the commercial crime branch. Marais has also had a final sequestration order made against him in the Durban High Court. After the provisional sequestration order was granted, Marais initially said he would oppose the application, but he did not. In the sequestration application, former client Norman Baggaley accused Marais of misappropriating funds. Baggaley claimed in his affidavit that Marais admitted that he had used the money for something else, that he was in financial difficulty and could not pay him. And in an affidavit attached to the application, an attorney acting for a 96-year-old pensioner said his client was owed more than R800 000. Documents before the court reflect that pensioner Artur Pimenter obtained default judgment against Marais for R810 000, being the capital sum (plus interest) he had given him to invest with Investec Bank in March 2009. But, in spite of demands for its release, the money was never paid over to him. Pimenter’s attorney, Alan Cohen, said his investigations had revealed that “the funds have been misappropriated”.
Marais is out on bail of R15 000 and the case was adjourned to July.
Source: IoL
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