Fraudster sentenced for illegal commissions on bank loans

The Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced a fraudster to 36 months correctional supervision after he admitted to taking an illegal commission from people who he helped secure bank loans.

Heinrich Presensie, 36, admitted guilt on multiple charges of fraud and money laundering and was sentenced when he appeared in court on Tuesday.

According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, Presensie and his alleged accomplice, Ashley le Roux, 36, manufactured false documents to obtain 13 loans from the Graaff-Reinet branch of Capitec Bank.

The pair allegedly added a commission to the total amount for themselves and, without their clients’ knowledge, paid the extra money to themselves before the clients received their loan amounts.

“Banks received complaints from clients who had received huge bank loan statements for money they did not receive. The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Gqeberha for further handling which led to the subsequent arrest of the accused on 12 February 2019,” Mgolodela said.

Presensie pleaded guilty on June 9, while Le Roux opted to go to trial.

Besides the 36-month sentence, Presensie also received a five years suspended sentence and was ordered to pay back R503,132 to the bank involved.

Le Roux is expected to return to court on September 8 for a trial date to be set.

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