A man and his two children swindled companies into buying bogus farms in Stellenbosch and Port Elizabeth and they have now been convicted of fraud in the Bellville Specialised Crimes Court.
Andries Marais, his son Reginald and his daughter Karin Joubert fraudulently sold farms worth more than R6-million to various companies.
They were found guilty by magistrate Amrith Chabilal who sentenced Andries to two years in jail and his son and daughter to three months in prison – a sentence that was suspended for five years.
According to the court hearings the family misled unsuspecting buyers into depositing millions into their accounts by pretending to be the legal owners of the properties.
Andries Marais and his children sold a farm in Nooitgedacht, Stellenbosch comprising more than 31 hectares and another at Kini Bay in Port Elizabeth comprising 46 hectares to Under the Boardwalk Properties for R2-million and R4-million respectively.
The family received payment for the properties from De Gracia and Van der Walt Associates on behalf of Under the Boardwalk Properties. They then sold the same properties to Fourwinds Cape.
The price for the Kini Bay property was listed at R10-million and Fourwinds Cape had to pay R50k immediately and R4,9-million on registration.
Both farms are now the subject of a separate litigation.
Meanwhile the National Prosecuting Authority’s regional spokesman Eric Ntabazalila has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of the family.
The money paid by the companies for the Port Elizabeth and Stellenbosch properties has not been recovered.
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