Hawks join Deeds Office fraud probe
The Hawks have been drawn into the criminal investigation into the irregular and fraudulent transfer of state-owned properties to private companies at the Deeds Office in Pretoria.
Colonel Musa Zondi, a spokesman for the Hawks, confirmed yesterday that the elite crime-fighting unit was involved in the criminal investigation but would not be drawn on suggestions that a criminal syndicate was behind the transactions.
Zondi said the investigation was still in its infancy and the investigating officer was waiting for more information from the main complainant, the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC).
Helen Botes, the managing director of the Johannesburg Property Company, previously confirmed that 33 properties owned by the company had been fraudulently transferred to private companies. It was investigating possible further fraudulent and irregular transfers.
The Johannesburg Property Company has obtained a High Court interdict to prevent further trading in the 33 properties and to get its properties back.
Zondi said the Hawks had also received a complaint from an individual who had bought a stand and the possibility now existed that this entire transaction would be affected. "Their issue is that they bought the stand in good faith and may lose their money."
Most of the companies to which the properties were eventually transferred have links to Zunaid Moti, the chairman of unlisted luxury property group Abalengani, who was in the news this year over a controversial deal in which more than R1 billion was owed to Investec Bank.
Virtually all the property transfers followed the same route and were transferred to Eildoug Investments, whose directors are Charlotte Natasja Jonck and Ledbury Accounting Services.
Thereafter the properties were transferred to Zamien Investments 45. In one instance, a Bryanston property was transferred to Koedoesdraai Investments.
The directors of the companies who bought the properties were not necessarily aware the properties had been fraudulently transferred to Eildoug Investments.
The directors of Zamien Investments are Salim Ahmed Bobat and Martha Magdalena Bradley. Zunaid Moti was a director of Zamien Investments until February 28 this year.
Mortgage bonds have been registered over all the properties in favour of Zambrotti Investments 54, whose directors are Bobat and Bradley. Moti resigned as a director of Zambrotti Investments on March 3.
All 33 transfers of JPC properties were facilitated by Edmund Sibisi, the acting deputy registrar of the Pretoria.
Sibisi is believed to be on paid leave. It is uncertain if this is part of his annual leave.
Business Report
Posted at 10:54AM Jun 09, 2010 by Editor in Industry |