Convicted fraudster 51-year-old Christiaan van Niekerk has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for fraud involving R23,8 million.
The Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court handed down a ruling of “direct imprisonment” for Van Niekerk.
The court heard that between March 2013 and January 2014, the accused made advances to a prominent Pretoria trucking and logistics businessman to loan him money as he was awaiting his offshore investments pay-out.
Van Niekerk submitted fraudulent financial documents to the businessman as proof of income and investments.
The businessman transferred about R23,8 million on different transactions to Van Niekerk’s bank account.
After failing to pay back the loan, the complainant discovered that the documents submitted to him by Van Niekerk were fake.
The matter was reported to the elite crime busters – the Hawks – in Germiston.
Van Niekerk was arrested in January 2017 and charged with fraud.
In November 2017, the court found Van Niekerk guilty and convicted him on two counts of fraud.
On Tuesday Van Niekerk was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for fraud and five years imprisonment on another count of fraud. Sentences will run concurrently.
