National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) seizes assets of Gwama Properties (Pty) Ltd
19 Mar 2013
On the 18th of March 2013, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) was granted a forfeiture order for a farm that is alleged to belong to Mr Julius Malema as part of a money laundering scheme. The farm is estimated to be worth about R4 million. This emanates from freezing order on the same farm that was granted on the 5th of December 2012 by the North Gauteng High Court.
The forfeiture order, is in terms of Section 48 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, and was granted by Judge Raulinga of the same Court. The farm is known as the Remaining Extent of the farm Schuilkraal 623, Registration Division LS, Polokwane, Limpopo, and is registered in the name of Gwama Properties (Pty) Ltd. The sole director of Gwama is Mr Lesiba Cuthbert Gwangwa.
It is noteworthy that the AFU application was neither opposed by Mr Gwangwa or his company Gwama Properties, nor by Mr Malema who is alleged to be the real owner. The court found that property was acquired with the proceeds of fraud and/or corruption and/or theft and/or money laundering perpetrated against the Limpopo Provincial Government, Department of Roads and Transport.
Alternatively, the property is an instrumentality of money laundering in that it represents the proceeds of theft, fraud, corruption and/or money laundering and was acquired in such a manner as to conceal or disguise the nature, source, location, disposition or movement of the property or the ownership thereof, or any interest which anyone may have in respect thereof.
The next step in the process will be the sale of the property and the proceeds of the sale of the property will be deposited into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account from where it may be allocated to law enforcement agencies to fight crime.
The forfeiture order is part of the on-going work of the Anti-corruption Task Team set up by Cabinet in July 2010 to deal more effectively with large corruption cases. It consists of the Hawks, the NPA and the Special Investigating Unit.
Statement issued by Medupe Simasiku, NPA Regional Communications, : National Prosecuting Authority, March 19 2013
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