Photo: Stock/Canva
AFU seizes assets of property firm that sold off government land
People started to build houses on the R113 million valued land that the firm had allegedly illegally ‘sold’ to them according to the AFU.
Photo: Stock/Canva
The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has been granted a preservation order to seize the assets of a property firm that allegedly sold land that it had no right to market because it belonged to the government.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) North Gauteng regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the AFU has been granted the asset preservation order against on assets of Wildebeesfontein Properties and Projects in the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday.
“It is alleged that Wildebeesfontein Properties and Projects sold land /stands that belong to the Department of Human Settlements, Emfuleni municipality or government,” Mahanjana said.
Mahanjana said that the Department of Human Settlements had bought 777 erven in Evaton West from Erinite (Pty) Ltd and Space Securitisation (Pty) Ltd in April 2019 for more than R113 million.
“The purpose of the purchase was to allocate the erven to qualifying beneficiaries. The Department received information that people were building on the property. Investigations revealed that the people occupying the land in Evaton West bought the stands from a Mr Andrew Molifi of Wildebeesfontein Properties for R 22 000 a stand,”” Mahanjana said.
“The proceeds of Molifi and his co-director’s illegal activities amounted to R17 million.
The bank account of Wildebeesfontein Properties and Projects has been preserved pending further investigations and a possible forfeiture application,” Mahanjana said.
Mahanjana said that matter not only highlighted the effective cooperation and collaboration between crime fighting agencies such as the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit within the NPA, the Financial Intelligence Centre and the Directorate for Priority Crimes, but the “dogged determination” of the AFU to make sure that crime does not pay.
“The AFU pursued this matter resulting in a favourable outcome, which will serve as a deterrent to other would be offenders and also removing the incentives for committing crimes of this nature,” Mahanjana added.
