Johannesburg – The alleged “holiday swindler” Francois Swart has been arrested, brought before a court, and granted bail, AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit revealed on Tuesday.
AfriForum said the law has finally caught up with the travel agency boss months after criminal complaints were filed against him.
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“Swart made his first appearance in the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court on 28 December when he was granted bail,” said Barry Bateman spokesperson for the Afriforum Private Prosecution Unit.
Although the conditions of his release on bail have not yet been established, Bateman said the unit was satisfied that the legal process to hold Swart accountable for his alleged offences was underway.
Swart is the managing director of travel agency Priority Escapes and is alleged to have defrauded many would-be holiday-makers of hundreds of thousands of rand.
Bateman said the AfriForum unit represents two complainants who filed a criminal complaint against Swart at the Modimolle Police Station in August last year.
An arrest warrant was issued in early December, following the intervention of the unit.
In the letter to the SA Police Service (SAPS) in September, Advocate Gerrie Nel, head of the unit, set out the simplicity of the case.
“The suspect received full payment from the complainants for him to fulfil holiday arrangements on their behalf,” said Advocate Nel.
“The misrepresentation was furthered when the suspect issued documents purporting that the holiday was arranged and paid in full.
“It has since been confirmed that the documents the complainants received are false.”
Pamela-Anne Dolan and Bugs van Heerden say they are encouraged that the police have acted on their complaint.
But, they have accepted that they will not recover the R130 000 they paid to Swart for a holiday that never materialised.
“We aren’t doing this for ourselves, but for all the people who have lost money. We believe it is a cut-and-dry case,” said Dolan.
“We were issued with travel vouchers to show that our holiday had been booked, when in fact there was no booking at all.”
The couple approached the unit when they were not provided with the investigating officer’s particulars nor engaged by the investigating officer.
The unit wrote to the station commander expressing concern that a straightforward case of fraud had apparently been referred to the Hawks for investigation.
“Following Swart’s appearance in court and what appears to be a renewed commitment from the SAPS to pursue the case, the unit will closely monitor developments and provide support to the police and the NPA [National Prosecuting Authority] if called upon to do so,” Bateman said.
Swart will appear in court again on 23 February.
