Thailand trip ‘fraudsters’ released on bail
Cape Town - One of two women accused of defrauding 80 pensioners of their long-awaited holiday to Thailand has turned on her co-accused, saying she handed her more than R500000.
Prudence November, 53, testified during her bail hearing as she stood in the dock next to Beneta Jansen, 59.
The women appeared in the Somerset West Magistrate’s Court for fraud, on Wednesday.
They have been in custody since November 22, after 80 people came forward alleging the two tour facilitators failed to get them to Thailand.
During the unopposed bail application yesterday, both accused presented affidavits and investigator Warrant Officer Lungile Mkhetshane testified.
In her affidavit, November said: “I did not commit any crime, I am innocent. I intend to plead not guilty to the charge. I took the amount of R1 500 per client who paid as part of commission due to me.
“I had 21 clients and therefore held back R31 500, which is the amount of my commission for the work that I had done. Paid over R550 000 to Accused 1, I was not aware she took money to the tune of R1.9m. I didn't commit any crime. I deny that I committed any crime.”
November told the court she would continue to assist the police in the investigation.
In the packed courtroom, Jansen’s lawyer, Advocate Peter Cyster, said his client had had a knee operation and suffers from ailments as he asked the court to grant her bail.
Mkhetshane said the 80 pensioners responded to an advertisement on social media.
“One person had to pay R26000, they were supposed to depart in 2023 or 2024.
“The complainants contacted the accused and tried to find out when they would be going to Thailand. They began to suspect something was not right.
“There were other victims outside the province, in the Eastern Cape, Bloemfontein and Pretoria.
“All the complainants never went to Thailand, they never received their money back.”
When the defence said they could only afford R3 000 bail, the State prosecutor asked: “Where is the money, it’s somewhere out there unless it was used. This is an insult to the court and complainants paid R26000 and they don’t have anything to replace. It is either the accused are very clever that they (never have been arrested before) or this was their first time. They tried to facilitate a phantom tour. The bail amount must be proportionate to the crime.”
Bail was set at R10000 for Jansen and R5000 for November.
The case was postponed to February 18 for further investigation.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za