One of the six accused of defrauding two banks of more than R6 million in luxury vehicles, has received a suspended sentence with an order to repay the banks, while his accomplices are still on trial.
Hailing from Bloemfontein, they all stand accused of defrauding Standard Bank and West Bank in 2017 through false personal loans and vehicle finance applications.
Chilleroy Floyed Buys (40) pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering charges in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (28/09).
He received 12 years’ imprisonment, suspended for five years, and 12 months’ correctional supervision. In addition, Buys was ordered to repay the two banks R300 000 through a monthly instalment of R5 000.
The trial of his co-accused is set to continue on 19 October. They are Mosa Harington Tseleli (39), Simon Cornelius Botha (49), Glen Ceasar Crouch (34), Jolene Crouch (38) and Veronica Crouch (33).
They were arrested in February, following an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Bloemfontein.
Capt. Christopher Singo, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the elite crime-fighting unit discovered that in 2017, Tseleli, who was an employee of Standard Bank, facilitated the process of completing fraudulent applications for vehicle finance and personal loans.
These false applications saw the five going on a shopping spree, purchasing a BMW 220i, a BMW 320d, a BMW X-drive, two VW Golf GTIs, and a Mercedes-Benz coupé.
Singo said the two banks suffered more than R6 million in losses.
