AFU and Hawks attach property linked to fraud and theft of R157m at Nedbank

Members of the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) and the Hawks have seized and attached various properties of 15 individuals in Gauteng who are alleged to have committed fraud and theft amounting to R157m from Nedbank between July 2018 and January 2023. 

The properties are in Roodepoort, Randburg, Krugersdorp and Pretoria. 

“The joint operation was undertaken to give effect to a provisional restraint order granted by the high court in Johannesburg on November 29 2024 to secure the properties of the 15 individuals, held in their personal capacities or through various entities, with a combined estimated value of about R33m,” National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said. 

The property secured by curators included houses, sectional title units, a smallholding, 77 vehicles, cash held in bank accounts and business interests.

“Items that were attached at the various locations include gold and silver jewellery, luxury wristwatches and designer clothing items, laptops and cellphones, about R80,000 in cash, a cash counting machine, licensed handguns and assault rifles, 16 magazines with ammunition and 2,172 rounds of ammunition of various calibres,” Mjonondwane said. 

She said the 15 individuals were being prosecuted in the Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court on charges of fraud and theft.

“It is alleged that one of the 15 individuals, Nicolette de Villiers, who was employed by Nedbank as an investigator in its group financial crime forensics and security division during the period in question, had allegedly abused her position to engineer the fraud and theft by unlawfully transferring funds held in the suspense accounts by Nedbank on behalf of legitimate victims of fraud into the bank accounts of various unlawful recipients with whom she was personally acquainted.” 

Mjonondwane said De Villiers allegedly created fictitious payment instructions through which she misrepresented to the bank that these various recipients of the stolen funds had themselves been victims of fraud and were thus entitled to receive payment from the suspense accounts through 224 individual transactions over the period. 

“It is alleged that one of the beneficiaries of the stolen funds, Lucas Keitumetse Mathimbi, had received a total of over R91m into his personal bank account and through the bank accounts of two entities, Ivy League Group (Pty) Ltd and IVL Guards (Pty) Ltd, both of which he is the sole director.” 

Of the property secured in terms of the court order, Mathimbi, also a former Nedbank employee, was connected to 11 immovable properties.

“The interim restraint order was granted pending the outcome of the criminal case,” Mjonondwane said. 

The accused were released on bail and are expected to appear in court on March 26.

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