Bronkhorstspruit – Fraud-accused 60-year-old Louis Petrus Liebenberg and his wife Desiree Liebenberg, 10 years his junior – accused of masterminding a dodgy diamond investment scheme in which clients lost about R4,5 billion – have been remanded in custody.
The diamond dealing couple appeared in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, (31 October 2024), alongside the other fraud accused including:
- Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans (54),
- Johannes Petrus Badenhorst (41),
- Helena Dorothea Amy Schulenburg (59),
- Adriaan Dewald Strydom (35),
- Christelle Badenhorst (42),
- Nicolize van Heerden (58) and
- Walter Niendinger (55).
The nine are facing charges of 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.
Louis Petrus Liebenberg and his wife are further facing an additional charge of two counts of money laundering.
The wife Desiree Liebenberg is facing an additional charge of corruption while Kleynhans is facing an additional charge of money laundering.
During the previous appearance, the alleged mastermind Louis Petrus Liebenberg abandoned his bail application.
Three other accused Kleynhans, Schulenburg, and Niendinger were released on bail.
Today, four other accused were granted unopposed bail.
Petrus Badenhorst was granted R15 000 bail, Strydom R20 000 bail, Christelle Badenhorst and Heerden were each granted R5 000 bail.
Allegations before the court are, Louis 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.
In 2020 Louis Petrus Liebenberg and Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans registered a company, Tariomix, in which they were both directors.
Another company 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 using a cashless platform called AE Switch.
Thousands of investors made payments into the platform amounting to approximately R4.5 billion.
The accused allegedly used the proceeds of the diamond investment scheme to purchase movable and immovable assets.
The accused allegedly bought two mines, various motor vehicles, a Ford Bakkie, BMW 230i sport, Toyota Agya, Kruger rands, and silver coins.
Some of the money was also allegedly used to fund Liebenberg’s lavish wedding and honeymoon in Greece.
The immovable properties, allegedly purchased by the accused include an office block.
However, matters came to a head when some investors did not receive the promised payments.
They became suspicious and reported the matter to the SA Police Service suspecting that they were defrauded.
The investigation was conducted by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, together with the Financial Intelligence Centre, Asset Forfeiture Unit, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Organised Crime Unit.
The multi-agency approach to the prosecutor-guided investigations yielded an important breakthrough in this syndicated commercial crime.
The accused were arrested in a police swoop on 22 October 2024.
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Louis Petrus Liebenberg and his wife Desiree Liebenberg were remanded in custody and their matter was adjourned to 15 November 2024, when their bail matter will be heard.
Gauteng NPA Spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said more counts will be formulated and added at a later stage.
The matter against the other accused was postponed to 4 February 2025 for further investigations.
