Bronkhorstspruit – Desiree Liebenberg, the wife of prominent diamond dealer 60-year-old Louis Petrus Liebenberg, was denied bail by the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court, some 50 km east of Pretoria, Gauteng.
Desiree, her husband, and eight other accused diamond investment matter face multiple charges including 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.
The other accused include Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans, Johannes Petrus Badenhorst, Helena Dorothea, Amy Schulenburg, Adriaan Dewald Strydom, Christelle Badenhorst, Nicolize van Heerden, and Walter Niendinger.
Diamond dealer Louis Petrus Liebenberg, who is being held in custody, and his 50-year-old wife are further facing an additional charge of two counts of money laundering.
Desiree is facing an additional charge of corruption.
In her bail affidavit, Desiree on Thursday, (2 November 2024), asked to be released on bail because she was not a flight risk.
In the affidavit, Desiree told the court that she joined the companies at a later stage.
Desiree also pleaded with the court to grant her bail because her properties were being vandalised while she was in custody.
However, the state Advocate Hana Conradie opposed her release on bail saying she was a flight risk, with access to R200 million.
Furthermore, Advocate Conradie argued that the accused failed to take the court into her confidence by failing to provide her bank statements.
Desiree said she cannot access her bank accounts since she is in custody.
However, the court denied her request to be released on bail.
The matter has been remanded to 25 November 2024, for a formal bail application in respect of Louis Petrus Liebenberg.
The matter involving the other accused was postponed to 4 February 2025, for further investigations.
Allegations before the court are that 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 styled Tariomix, where 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 buying and selling diamonds for a profit.
They 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 about R4,5 billion.
The accused allegedly used the proceeds of the diamond investment scheme to purchase movable and immovable assets, including two mines, and motor vehicles – a Ford Bakkie, BMW 230i sport, and Toyota Agya.
The accused also allegedly bought Kruger Rand and silver coins using investors’ money.
The money was allegedly also used for Liebenberg’s lavish wedding and honeymoon in Greece.
The accused allegedly bought immovable properties, including an office block.
However, investors who did not receive the promised payments became suspicious and reported the matter to the police.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the Financial Intelligence Centre, Asset Forfeiture Unit, Price Waterhouse Coopers, and NPA probed the matter resulting in the arrest of the diamond dealer, his wife, and their employees.
