Fraudster owes R18.7m – claim

FORMER city councillor and convicted fraudster Kasavan “Kessie” Nair owes a company R18.7 million, its director has claimed.

Thamsanqa Kenneth Khanyile claimed in papers before the Durban High Court that Nair is indebted to his company, 2 SL SA (Pty) Ltd, which denies owing Nair anything.

Khanyile is also a senior member of the 12 Apostles Church in Christ, whose members have been drawn into the fray.

Nair was jailed for six years by the Durban Magistrate’s Court in 2005 for fraud involving R17 500.

He now runs Top Talk Marketing South Africa.

He and his stepbrother’s daughter, Magandhree Chetty, have brought an action to have Khanyile’s company liquidated.

In his opposing papers, Khanyile rejected Chetty’s claims that he and his his American business partner, James Ward, were running a ponzi scheme.

In her affidavit, Chetty, an administrator at Top Talk, alleged that 2 SL SA, which offered travel and other discounts to its members (Top Talk Marketing had apparently assisted in recruiting them), was operating unlawfully.

She claimed its liabilities exceeded its assets and Top Talk had deposited R5 million into the company’s bank account in July.

Chetty, represented by advocate Nash Deoduth, said Nair had apparently established that Khanyile had gone behind Top Talk’s back and signed up number of his church members.

The church has approximately four million members and Chetty alleged 2 SL SA owed Top Talk approximately R15m.

But Khanyile has hit back, claiming Nair had posted a video on social media saying he intended to transfer the members to a new entity called Aroga Worldwide, a company in the US.

“While Aroga sounds like an incentive scheme it does not offer any travel incentives. Instead it offers what appears to be be alternative medication for people who are unwell, handicapped or indisposed,” he said. “It is a quantum leap to go from offering travel packages to alternate health packages.”

The matter was adjourned by consent to the opposed roll.