The R200-million fraud case against former Fidentia head Arthur Brown and Dr Piet Bothma has been transferred to the Cape Town Regional Court so a trial date can be arranged. Brown appeared briefly in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on Friday, without Bothma. Brown has brought a High Court application for a temporary stay of prosecution until the finalisation of the investigation against him, but it will be heard only in mid-November.
Brown wants three separate fraud cases against him to be combined so he can be charged from one charge sheet and in one court. But Marco Martini, Bothma's lawyer, argued that this would further prejudice his client, who has had to fly repeatedly from Joburg to attend court proceedings in Cape Town.
Bothma is the former Transport, Education and Training Authority head. State advocate Jan van Vuuren, SC, asked on Friday that a warrant of arrest for Bothma be authorised, but held over until the next court date in two months. Van Vuuren said the State received a letter from Martini's office reiterating that Bothma was being discriminated against, and said the State would, by the next date, determine whether the case against Bothma and Brown should be separated, and whether Bothma would be tried in Joburg.
Brown, who is out on R1-million bail, faces several criminal charges in connection with the alleged misappropriation of funds meant for widows and orphans of mineworkers who invested with Fidentia. A regional court case - in which Brown is alleged to have transferred R4,5m from mining supply company Fundi's account - and moved more than R5m from the loyalty card operation Infinity to his own account and that of close business associate Graham Maddock, is set to go to trial in September next year. In another case, Brown and investor Jacobus Theart, accused of fraud and theft of R800 000 from private investment company Antheru, are expected to appear in the magistrate's court early next month.
The case involving Brown and Bothma was postponed to November 23.
Showing posts with label Jacobus Theart. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jacobus Theart. Show all posts
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, April 25, 2008
Investigation into Teta almost complete
Fidentia CE J Arthur Brown was on Thursday late for a scheduled appearance in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court, on charges that include fraud involving the Transport, Education and Training Authority (Teta). In the dock without him were co-accused Dr Piet Bothma, Teta's CE, and a newcomer, Jacobus Theart, who is cited in the charge sheet as accused number three.
Scorpions prosecutor Bruce Morrison SC, assisted by Tersia du Toit, told the court they had called the case earlier than expected, and that Brown was not at fault for his absence. He and Du Toit had tried without success to telephone Brown to get him to court sooner, they said. The case was postponed to July 29 in Brown's absence.
Morrison said the investigation was almost completed and that there were "just a few more things to be done". He said he envisaged an additional charge to the current charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering, reckless trading and a contravention of the Financial Intelligent Centre Act.
The fraud charge relating to Teta involves over R2m. Theart faces charges of theft involving R800,000 and money laundering. However, Morrison did not indicate to the court how Theart fitted into the picture. He said both the Cape Town and Randburg Courts had jurisdiction to deal with the case, and he would launch an application to centralize the charges -- so they could all be dealt with together in Cape Town.
In the Teta case, the trio are expected to eventually go on trial in the Cape High Court. Later, Brown alone stood in the dock of the Cape Town Regional Court, where he is to go on trial on September 15 on two charges of fraud, one of theft and one of violating the Companies Act.
These charges relate to his involvement with Fidentia. In these proceedings, Du Toit told magistrate Wilma van der Merwe that she had furnished defence attorney Asghar Mia with further particulars to the charges. At her request the case was postponed to May 30.
Source: Moneyweb
Scorpions prosecutor Bruce Morrison SC, assisted by Tersia du Toit, told the court they had called the case earlier than expected, and that Brown was not at fault for his absence. He and Du Toit had tried without success to telephone Brown to get him to court sooner, they said. The case was postponed to July 29 in Brown's absence.
Morrison said the investigation was almost completed and that there were "just a few more things to be done". He said he envisaged an additional charge to the current charges of fraud, corruption, money laundering, reckless trading and a contravention of the Financial Intelligent Centre Act.
The fraud charge relating to Teta involves over R2m. Theart faces charges of theft involving R800,000 and money laundering. However, Morrison did not indicate to the court how Theart fitted into the picture. He said both the Cape Town and Randburg Courts had jurisdiction to deal with the case, and he would launch an application to centralize the charges -- so they could all be dealt with together in Cape Town.
In the Teta case, the trio are expected to eventually go on trial in the Cape High Court. Later, Brown alone stood in the dock of the Cape Town Regional Court, where he is to go on trial on September 15 on two charges of fraud, one of theft and one of violating the Companies Act.
These charges relate to his involvement with Fidentia. In these proceedings, Du Toit told magistrate Wilma van der Merwe that she had furnished defence attorney Asghar Mia with further particulars to the charges. At her request the case was postponed to May 30.
Source: Moneyweb
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