A decade of betrayals
‘He was my right-hand person’
AN EMOTIONAL Daniel Platt, the man who founded Floorworx Africa in 2004, yesterday told the East London regional court that he had trusted convicted fraudster Henry Louis Schreuder so much that he handed over financial control to him.
Platt said little did he know that “the man I trusted with my life” would later steal more than R70million from under his nose.
“I relied very heavily on him with regard to the finances of the company while I was building the Floorworx brand and product internationally,” Platt said.
“He was a very astute and effective financial person to assist in that part of the business.
“I relied on his inputs so that I could carry on with what I needed to do at that point in time and so we worked very well as a team.
“He was very much my righthand person with regard to the financial aspects of the business.”
Platt was testifying before magistrate Twanet Olivier as sentencing proceedings began yesterday.
Schreuder has been found guilty of fraud relating to millions, which went missing while he was financial director at the Wilsonia-based Floorworx between January 2005 and December 2015. The court heard yesterday that while the thefts started with R30 000 in January 2005, in 2014 Schreuder siphoned off R12-million.
Platt flew in from Johannesburg to give his emotional testimony, which included telling the court that his company was placed under business rescue in 2005.
“I was not sleeping more than two hours a night. The only support I had was my wife telling me we could lose everything and start again,” Platt said.
He was questioned by the deputy director of public prosecution in the specialised commercial crimes unit, advocate TC Goosen, who was appearing for the state.
Goosen asked Platt if Schreuder had been aware of the difficulties the company faced in 2005, to which Platt responded: “He was absolutely, intricately involved.
“He knew about every situation and 2005 was a particularly difficult year because it wasn’t long into 2005 that the bank actually put us into rescue.
“I knew I was about to lose everything because I couldn’t sell the bank on my dream.
“I then decided the only way to do that was to get the senior people at the bank on an airplane to show them what we were doing and to sell them my vision. Mr Schreuder was intricately involved because we had to show them what we were doing financially.”
Speaking through his lawyer Niel Ristow, Schreuder apologised for what had happened and said he understood the difficulties and problems caused by the fraud.
Schreuder said he understood the impact it may have had on his employers. The case continues today.