By Teboho Moloi
BLOEMFONTEIN – Two of the seven suspects implicated in a R7-million bank fraud scheme in Bloemfontein have been sentenced, with the Hawks warning that more convictions are on the way.
Glen Crouch (37) and Simon Cornelius Botha (52) were sentenced by the Bloemfontein Regional Court on Monday, 17 November, for their roles in a sophisticated fraud operation that targeted Standard Bank and WesBank.
The scheme dates back five years and involved fraudulent bank loans, overdrafts and vehicle finance obtained with the help of a former Standard Bank employee who is also among the accused.
Free State Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Zweli Mohobeleli said the accused were arrested in February 2020 after the case was reported to the unit.
Crouch was convicted on 19 counts of fraud and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, four of which are suspended for five years. Botha was convicted on two charges of money laundering and received a wholly suspended two-year sentence, along with 36 months of correctional supervision.
Mohobeleli said four other suspects – former Standard Bank employee Mosa Tseleli (42), Christal Arendse (41), Eagen Moses (39) and Gilbert Rousseau (46) – are due back in court on 8 December.
He added that anotherr accused, Chelleroy Floyd Buys (43), was convicted in September 2022 and received a 12-year sentence, suspended for five years, plus 12 months of correctional supervision. Buys was also ordered to repay R300 000.
“The team continues to tighten the net. More convictions are imminent,” Mohobeleli said.
