Free State ‘forex trader’ found guilty of fraud, money laundering

A 24-year-old man has been found guilty as charged for fraud and money laundering as he made is latest appearance at the Bloemfontein regional court on Thursday, 14 January.

According to Hawks’ Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DCPI) spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo, the accused – Johandre Visagie – was convicted Visagie on four counts of fraud as well as four counts of money laundering by the court.

“It is alleged that 27 May 2018 the complainant consulted with Visagie who presented himself as a forex trader.

“He then enticed the victim to invest in an investment scheme purportedly trading in foreign currency with very high returns.

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“The complainant consequently transferred R16,600 and R1-million respectively on 29 May 2018, but no returns on investment were received,” Singo said.

Singo said Visagie was served with court summonses on 23 July 2019 after he was nowhere to be found when the complainant attempted to enquire with him.

“He [Visagie] appeared in court on several occasions culminating in his recent conviction on Thursday,” he added.

His case has been postponed to Wednesday, 17 February 2021 for sentencing.

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