Another week behind bars for ‘diamond dealer’ Louis Liebenberg and wife as State adds corruption to charge sheet
Louis Liebenberg and his wife, Desiree Liebenberg have been remanded in custody yet again after their bail application was remanded to November 15.
The couple appeared in court along with their co-accused; Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans, Johannes Petrus Badenhorst, Helena Dorothea Amy Schulenburg, Adriaan Dewald Strydom, Christelle Badenhorst, Nicolize van Heerden and Walter Niendinger at the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrates Court on Thursday.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the accused face 42 counts of fraud (alternatively theft), five counts of racketeering, six counts of money laundering, theft and various statutory offences, including contraventions of the Companies Act. Liebenberg and Desiree also face additional charges of money laundering.
"Desiree is facing an additional charge of corruption while Kleynhans is facing an additional charge of money laundering. More counts will be formulated and added at a later stage," said NPA spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana.
The State alleges that Liebenberg registered 15 companies where his ex-girlfriend Kleynhans and the rest of the accused who are either family members or have close relations, were directors.
Mahanjana said in 2020, Liebenberg and Kleynhans registered a company styled Tariomix where they were both directors.
"Another company styled Forever Zircon was registered in 2021. Both these companies were purportedly involved in buying and selling diamonds. Potential investors were lured through social media and radio interviews to invest in the buying and selling of diamonds and were also promised high returns over a short period of time using a cashless platform called AE Switch. Thousands of investors made payments into the platform amounting to approximately R4.5 billion," she said.
The accused then allegedly used the proceeds from the scam to buy luxury vehicles and Kruger coins and pay for Liebenberg's lavish wedding and honeymoon in Greece.
The NPA said Thursday's proceedings was remanded for a formal bail application in respect of the two Liebenbergs while the matter against the rest of the accused was postponed to February next year for further investigation.
IOL News