Johannesburg - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed that the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and Special Investigating Unit (SIU) was granted an order to freeze government land that was unlawfully transferred to private entities and individuals.
The crime fighting units have been granted a preservation order by the High Court of South Africa, Gauteng Division, Pretoria, to freeze an agricultural holding and a farm in Gauteng, valued at approximately R53 million, linked to the fraudulent transfer of government land to private entities and individuals.
NPA Pretoria division spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana revealed that a similar preservation order was granted by the High Court on September 9, 2022, with a value of approximately R144 million.
"This is taking the total value of frozen assets to approximately R197 million," said Mahanjana.
She said the current order prohibits the following individuals and private entities from dealing in any manner with Holding 34, Beverley Agricultural Holdings, and Portion 296 of the Farm Zuurfontein 33: B and B Media, Nicolas Martinaas Roets, Christopher Peterson, RCI Development, and Segwapa Inc.
Manhanjana said the order follows an investigation by the SIU, which revealed that individuals and private entities jointly, severally, and with a common purpose defrauded the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform (DRDLR) and the respective Deeds Registries in Vryburg, Johannesburg, and Pretoria by fraudulently transferring government property to individuals and private entities for their personal benefit.
Armed with the outcomes of its investigation, the SIU shared the evidence with the AFU, which approached the High Court for a preservation order to preserve government land that was unlawfully transferred.
The SIU was authorised by the President of South Africa to investigate allegations of corruption and maladministration relating to the transfer of government land to individuals and private entities under Proclamation R 7 of 2014, as amended by Proclamation R 599 of 2015 and Proclamation R 32 of 2017.
Mahanjana said the evidence gathered points to acts of fraud and corruption committed between January 2008 and February 2022.
As part of the investigation, Mahanjana said numerous affidavits were obtained by the SIU from internal DRDLR and Deeds Registry staff members, external witnesses, and/or transferring attorneys.
"In line with the SIU Act, the SIU referred evidence pointing to criminal conduct to the NPA for further action. The referral resulted in a criminal case being registered with the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations (Hawks). This preservation order is part of the implementation of the National Anti-Corruption strategy by law enforcement agencies to strengthen their fight against corruption," said Mahanjana.
The Star