Staff Reporter
A 47-year-old pastor has been granted bail by the Kroonstad Magistrates Court after appearing on allegations of fraud, theft, money laundering and contravention of the Banks Act.
Seth Malefetsane Radebe, who is a pastor at Sanctuary Haven Church in Kroonstad, was released on bail of R10 000 when he appeared in court on Tuesday.
Radebe is facing a total of 16 counts and is being charged together with his three companies, namely Sanctuary Havens Properties, Rehabale Incorporated and Rethabise Premium.
It is alleged that Radebe ordered his congregants to invest in his companies promising them to get a return of monthly interest and their capital at a later stage.
Strangely, he allegedly asked them to keep these investment deals secret, even from his wife.
One of the complainants who had invested his money with an established investment company was persuaded by the pastor to take out his money before maturity and move the funds into one of the accused’s companies.
According to the state, the complainants deposited their investment monies into different company accounts in 2013 and Radebe transferred the money into his personal account for his own use.
The complainants struggled to receive their returns as promised.
They invested an amount of R1 891 000 into Radebe’s companies and did not get their money back.
One complainant’s motor vehicle was repossessed because of her financial constraints.
Radebe is facing four counts of fraud, four counts of contravention of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, four counts of contravention of the Banks Act and four counts of money laundering.
The matter was then reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit based in Welkom for further investigation, resulting in the suspect handing himself over to the investigators this morning and was immediately charged before being taken to court.
The case has been postponed to October 15, 2021.