Hlophe's son on fraud charges
2009-08-26 21:02
Cape Town - Thuthuke Exton Hlophe, son of Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe, appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Wednesday on fraud charges.
Thuthuke, 26, faces six counts involving fraud and uttering.
It was the son's first appearance in the commercial crime court before magistrate Amrith Chabilall postponed the matter to September 28.
Thuthuke was arrested on March 18, and the charge sheet gives his address as 7 Ednam Terraces, Newlands.
According to the preamble to the charge sheet, Thuthuke launched a close corporation in the name of Changing Addresses, which traded as Moving Addresses.
Prosecutor Sylvan Africa alleges Thuthuke unlawfully obtained an identity document in the name Linda Ntombele, and that he replaced her photograph in it with his own.
He was in unlawful possession of her ID book, with her ID number, but with his own photograph in it.
Africa charges that he used this ID to open FNB and Absa cheque accounts, in the name of Moving Addresses.
Charges
Africa alleges Thuthuke bought a black BMW 330i from Hendrik van den Berg for R400 000, and that he paid by means of post-dated cash cheques, all of which were dishonoured.
This transaction forms the basis for the first fraud charge, as well as three counts of uttering, involving the worthless post-dated cheques.
The vehicle was in a crash while in Hlophe's possession and he took it to Auric BMW in Claremont for repairs costing R19 208.
His alleged false misrepresentation to Auric BMW, that he was able to pay for the repairs, forms the basis of two further fraud charges.
Africa told the court that additional fraud charges against Thuthuke were pending in the Wynberg Regional Court.
It transpired that a further appearance in the Wynberg court had been scheduled for August 27, but Thuthuke's lawyer, Zaheer Ismail, had re-schedule this appearance for August 25 instead.
Africa said that the Wynberg case had been postponed to November 12, but this case would be consolidated with the case in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court.
- SAPA
