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CIPRO: Hijack cases hit twenty seven

Galderma Laboratories and Fujitsu among the latest confirmed victims

JOHANNESBURG - Six more companies have been added to the list of confirmed victims of company hijacking in 2010, bringing the total number of recorded cases to twenty seven. They are: Galderma Laboratories South Africa, Astrapak Gauteng, ITQ Business Solutions, Fujitsu Services, Birchwood Management Company and Mtema Mashao Consulting and Civil Engineers.  

In all these cases the legitimate directors of the companies targeted were ‘resigned' on the database of the Companies and Intellectual Property Registration Office (CIPRO) and replaced with fraudulent directors.

In at least one case a bank account was opened by the fraudsters in the name of the company and a substantial tax refund from the South African Revenue Service (SARS) was diverted into the new account.

The (possibly stolen) identity of one ‘Bekizitha Dlomo', 52, was used in several of the twenty seven cases.

According to CIPRO records ‘Dlomo' was fraudulently inserted as the director of ContinuitySA (June 1), Mtema Mashao Consulting and Civil Engineers (June 25), OEP Office Equipment Products (June 30), Vanern Investments (July 1), Natmed (August 19), and South African Valve and Tube Industry (August 31).

‘Dlomo' is also listed as a director of two CCs with names similar to the South African Revenue Service or the abbreviation thereof: ‘SARSA Projects and Maintenance Services' and ‘South Africa Mevenue Projects Services' (our emphasis).

Table: CIPRO hijacking victims list 2010 (updated Dec 8 2010)*

1

Gap Distributors

2

AFC Ltd

3

Vanern Investments

4

Nestle Purina Petcare

5

A Million Up Investments 48

6

CHM Vuwani Computer Solutions (KZN)

7

Aobakwe Louw Properties

8

Taquanta Asset Managers

9

Vereeniging Foundaries

10

Pretoria Ooginstituut

11

Columbia Pharmaceuticals

12

Bombardier Transportation UK Limited

13

Isithemala

14

Natmed

15

South African Valve and Tube Industry

16

MJS Trading

17

OEP Office Equipment Products

18

ContinuitySA

19

Deloitte Consulting

20

D and T Trust

21

Trademore

22

Galderma South Africa Laboratories

23

Birchwood Management Company

24

Fujitsu Services

25

Astrapak Gauteng

26

Mtema Mashao Consulting and Civil Engineers

27

ITQ Business Solutions

28

????

29

????

30

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* Note: This list excludes the unrelated cases of Kalahari Resources and Syanda Chrome.

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