Cops to question R Kelly
2009-06-23 15:47
Durban - US RnB singer Robert Kelly, popularly known as R Kelly, will be questioned by police following allegations he was involved in an investment scam, police said on Tuesday.
A Durban woman, Busisiwe Priscilla Zakwe, implicated R Kelly in an alleged investment scam that apparently swindled money out of more than 50 people, many of them pensioners.
State prosecutor Blackie Swart wrote a letter to Kelly's agent Jason Miller earlier this year requesting the singer to explain his involvement in the scam, but he did not receive any response.
Kelly is currently in South Africa to perform and the investigators had used the opportunity to question him.
"We are leaving Durban for Johannesburg now and we will have a meeting with Kelly's lawyers tonight [Tuesday]," said one of the investigators, Inspector-Detective Themba Mchunu.
People are becoming impatient
The meeting with Kelly’s lawyers would be followed by questioning Kelly at 13:30 on Friday.
Zakwe was arrested in 2005 for allegedly taking thousands of Rand from investors by promising them they would benefit from ticket sales if they brought an R Kelly tour to the country that year.
Kelly never appeared in the country, but Zakwe claimed she deposited R10,5m into his account.
Zakwe faced 67 charges of fraud and one of violating the Banking Act by running a scheme without permission.
Mchunu said he was happy that he finally had an opportunity to interview Kelly.
“This will help us to get necessary information that we need for the case. This has taken far too long and people are becoming impatient.”
The trial was expected to start on July 15 and Zakwe was out on bail.
- SAPA