A man accused of defrauding the SA Taxi Finance company and taxi-finance applicants of R1 760 000 in April last year, was granted R30 000 bail by the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court pending further investigation. His next hearing will be on 16 February.
The 30-year-old suspect, a former employee of a dealership for minibus taxis in Broadacres, said to be under liquidation, allegedly defrauded one applicant of R10 000 which was paid as a deposit for a Toyota Quantum worth R377 800; and another of R50 000 paid as a deposit for a Mercedes Benz worth R825 000, among others.
Also, he allegedly told two other applicants that their applications were being processed but didn’t ask them for deposits.
He is said to have called the four victims days later and informed them that their applications were successful and that they should collect the vehicles in three days. A day before the collection, he allegedly called to tell them not come as the deals were still being finalised.
It is reported that he became evasive, allegedly prompting those who paid deposits to ask to be refunded.
Eventually, they couldn’t reach him resulting in an investigation that led to his arrest 16 November.
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