Muhammed Ismail Essack (34) asked to assist the police in fraud investigation
The police are investigating a series of crimes committed between 2014 and 2019 and requests anyone who can assist to contact the Modimolle Police Station.
LIMPOPO – The police are on the look-out for a man involved in a series of fraud crimes committed in the Modimolle policing area. The accused is alleged to have owned a second-hand motor dealership in Modimolle and committed the crimes in and around the town between March 2014 and September.
Spokesperson for the police, Brig Motlafela Mojapelo says the first case was reported in March 2014 after it is alleged he had accepted a vehicle from the complainant as a trade in on 20 March 2014 and never settled the outstanding amount on the vehicle with the relevant bank. Mojapelo explained that a contract was signed that the dealership, owned by the accused, would settle the outstanding amount at the bank but that was not done and the complainant had to later pay two months’ installments for both vehicles.
More incidents were reported against the accused between 2014 and 2019. These resulted in 19 vehicles being seized by financial institutions from various dealerships where most of the complainants reported that they never received the vehicles that they had paid for at the said dealership. Others reported that they had traded their vehicles in for other vehicles but the outstanding money had not been settled with the relevant banks. As a result most complainants were forced to pay the banks for the vehicles they had purchased and for the vehicles they used as trade-ins.
Mojapelo added that according to records, the accused was arrested in May 2015 and was later granted bail of R1 000 by the Modimolle Magistrate’s Court. He has since absconded and failed to appear in court. He is believed to be in the Lenasia, Gauteng area, he said.
The police have appealed to anyone who knows of the whereabouts of the accused to contact Det Sgt Amanda Rossouw at 071 133 8524. Alternatively they can contact the Crime Stop number at 086 001 0111 or visit the nearest police station.
They further requested that Muhammed Ismail Essack (34) to report to the Modimolle Police Station or the nearest police station to assist with these investigations.
