POLOKWANE – The list of potential witnesses who former Polokwane businessman Jacques Nell may not contact, grew significantly on Friday.
This follows after evidence was laid before the presiding magistrate in the Absa fraud case against Nell, in the Mankweng regional court.
Nell allegedly tried to put pressure on the Absa employee who laid charges against him to withdraw the case against him. This pressure was allegedly brought to bear through an Absa executive committee, whose identity is known to Review.
The Hawks tendered written evidence in this regard, as well as a list of Absa board members. A letter to this effect was shown as evidence by the Hawks. They then tendered a list of Absa executive committee and board members who may not be contacted by Nell in any way. Nell was represented by a new attorney, the third to take his case. Two attorneys previously withdrew from the case. The legal firm currently handling Nell’s case is Henstock and Van den Heever.
Nell is due to appear again before court on September 12.
Nell is charged with defrauding Absa Bank by supplying Absa with false tax invoices to secure financing for two new DocuTech machines.
He is said to have misled the bank to secure finance for the machines, which resulted in the potential loss of some R9 million after Nell’s company, Data Master Office Automation CC, was voluntarily liquidated. The charge sheet shows the actual loss incurred by Absa was R1,7 million. Nell was the sole member of Data Master Office Automation CC.
Hawks spokesperson, Capt Paul Ramoloka said these alleged irregularities were uncovered during an investigation by the Hawks into government tenders that were awarded in an irregular, fraudulent or corrupt manner in various departments put under administration during December 2011.
Nell’s initial application for bail in the Polokwane magistrate’s court was refused by magistrate Janine Ungerer, as he was seen as a flight risk.
An attempt to get bail in the Polokwane high court also failed, but an application lodged in the Gauteng high court was approved by judge George Avvakoumides on March 26.
