11/03/2023

The victim was allegedly led to believe that, following some rituals, her R481 190 pension payout would become R4 million.

A
Free State “traditional healer” has appeared in court for allegedly
conning a teacher into believing she’d become rich overnight if she handed over
all her pension money.
The woman, aged 39, appeared in
the Welkom Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday on charges of theft and fraud to the
value of R481 190 following her arrest on Monday, said Hawks spokesperson
Warrant Officer Lynda Steyn.
“The suspect posed [as] a
traditional healer…and the victim made her way from QwaQwa to consult with the
accused,” Steyn said.
Steyn added that during the
consultation in August 2017, the victim was allegedly made to believe she could
become an overnight millionaire, provided she resigned from her teaching job and
handed over her pension money.
She was allegedly led to believe
that, following some rituals, her R481 190 pension payout would become R4
million.
“The QwaQwa-based
professional teacher resigned in December 2018 and handed the money to the
suspect in anticipation of great returns, and the money was allegedly used for
personal gain.
“Realising later that she
had been conned, she reported the matter in October 2019 to the Hawks’ Serious
Commercial Crime investigating team for investigation.”
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