Ten family members recently appeared before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court in Mpumalanga, where they faced charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering.\
The case was brought forward by the Nelspruit Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks.
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The accused individuals have been identified as Carol Ann Avent, Ian John Avent, Lucy Andrea du Preez, Maria Antoinette Le Roux, Kerry Ann Avent, Jaco Meinties, Pieter Albertus Meintjies, Annechelay Charlene Meintjies, Dina Petro du Preez, and Maritz Vernon du Preez.
According to Warrant Officer Thandi Tshabalala, the Hawks’ Mpumalanga provincial spokesperson, Carol Ann Avent, who was employed as a financial administrator at Trans Collection CC in Nelspruit, is alleged to have committed the crimes.
Her responsibilities included managing payments to the company’s creditors and provident funds. However, it is believed that she misused her position by diverting funds from the company’s Nedbank business account into her family members’ personal bank accounts.
The fraudulent activities resulted in the company suffering a loss of approximately R11.5 million. Following an investigation that concluded in 2019, Carol Ann Avent and her family members were arrested.
The case was initially set for trial in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court but was provisionally withdrawn due to administrative reasons. However, it has since been reallocated to the same court.
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The 10 accused individuals recently appeared before the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court, where the matter was postponed to April 19, 2024. This delay will allow for the tracing of any possible outstanding suspects and for the case to be transferred to the Specialised Commercial Crime Court.
The legal proceedings against the accused individuals highlight the importance of upholding integrity in financial matters and the consequences that can result from fraudulent activities.
