‘Daughters transferred my money’

Court hears of missing millions

AN UMZINTO mother could not control her emotions on the witness stand yesterday as she told the Durban Magistrate’s Court how her two daughters cleaned out her bank account of more than R2 million from her husband’s estate.

The daughters pleaded not guilty to stealing the money.

Zora Khan, 58, mother of two sons and two daughters, told the court that the transfers of the monies happened at her weakest point, just after the passing of her husband and while she was in the 40-day mourning and praying period.

Her husband, Wasir Khan, died on December 24, 2015, and was buried the following day.

“He died of a sudden heart attack. We did not expect it,” Khan said.

She said it was only after the 40th day that she found out about the money missing from her and her husband’s accounts. Khan said her daughters had also cashed an investment account of R400 000 without her permission.

Daughters Anisa Sayed, 38, of Phoenix, and Zaaidha Khan, 31, of Westville, both married, were each released on R20 000 bail in November last year.

The money is believed to have been from their father’s retirement lump sum and various investments. He was a senior manager in the Department of Health.

“I had just lost my husband. I was praying and was not aware of what was going on. The children were doing as they pleased,” a tearful Khan said.

She first found out about the theft when one of her sons told her about money that was transferred to his bank account from his father’s.

It is alleged that the sisters had access to their mother’s internet banking details, and transferred funds to their own accounts.

Brothers

They also transferred money to the bank account of one of their brothers, Mohamed Khan, allegedly to silence him, but he told his mother about the money.

Zora Khan told the court that when she found out that the children had cashed the policy without her consent, she did not do anything about it until she was later informed by a bank employee friend that there was only R50 000 left in her husband’s account.

Khan said the jealousy began when the daughters found out that their father had left the house to the youngest son who was still staying at home and unmarried.

“I trusted my daughters. In fact, my daughters were the ones who always warned me that the boys would take all my money,” Khan said.

The couple were married on July 25, 1977, and had drawn up a joint will and testament which was signed on July 22, 2009. Khan was the executrix and the dominant beneficiary.

She said after the mourning period, she tried to contact her daughters as they ignored her calls. She then opened a case.

Defence lawyer Siven Samuels, representing the daughters, questioned why it took Khan months to report the matter to the police.

“I put it to you that the reason why you did nothing about it was because you had given your daughters permission to do what they did,” he said.

Samuels said the daughters would tell the court that after their father’s death, the family decided to divide the estate.

He said the children and mother entered into a written agreement that the sisters would receive a sum of money, that the brothers would receive other property, and the mother would receive a pension benefit from the estate.

He said the monies that the daughters received were through her instructions. The case continues.