Court freezes assets of businessman in gun-running case

A WESTERN Cape High Court judge found businessman Irshaad “Hunter” Laher, under investigation for the alleged supply of guns to Western Cape gangs, pretended he was in the dark about the merits of the case against him when he tried to stop the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) from attaching his alleged ill-gotten gains.

In a judgment handed down on Thursday, Judge Elizabeth Baartman said Laher pretended he had no idea about the State’s case against him, even though he had been provided with details two days after his arrest.

The details included an affidavit by former Vereeniging policeman Christiaan Prinsloo, who was in charge of the Gauteng stores where police firearms were sent for destruction.

Prinsloo, who is serving 18 years in jail, claimed in a plea and sentence agreement with the State that he supplied Laher with 2 000 weapons over several years.

“It therefore ill behoves (Laher) to state, as he did in his answering affidavit, ‘I am in these proceedings expected to defend myself against “spin” and innuendo without knowing what the alleged case against me is’,” the judge said.

Judge Baartman’s comments came in her judgment in an AFU application in which she confirmed a provisional restraint order the unit obtained against Laher.

The restraint order effectively freezes Laher’s assets, which include his Rondebosch home and his interests in two Spur franchises and one Nando’s outlet.

The assets will now be placed in the control of a curator and, if Laher is convicted in the criminal case, the AFU will apply for a confiscation order.

Although his shares in the restaurants had already been transferred to third parties, the AFU suggested in papers he was dissipating his assets – an allegation he denied.

But Judge Baartman pointed out that the reason restraint order applications were brought was to ensure the property was not disposed of in anticipation of the proceedings.

fatima.schroeder@inl.co.za