Car giant drawn into fray over fraud accusations

We don’t owe anyone, anything, says Renault

LOURENSFORD estate in Somerset West, which is owned by one of the wealthiest people in South Africa, billionaire Christo Wiese, claims French car manufacturer Renault is illegally flighting an advertisement by including his estate in its commercial.

Lourensford chief executive, Koos Jordaan and the estate’s security manager, Johan Cronje, told Weekend Argus the advertisement was being illegally aired worldwide, as the estate had not signed a release form, or been paid for allowing filming to take place.

Jordaan said the company often encountered crooks and it wasn’t worth hiring a private detective or taking legal action over R25 000 owed in location fees.

The Renault commercial, was shot in February and March last year by David Brenton and his business partner, Craig Fegen, from Gateway Film Services.

They have allegedly refused to pay Lourensford and 20 film- related companies for work on the international Renault commercial and other commercials.

Renault International said the company had every right to broadcast the Renault Duster commercial because they had paid for the advert in full.

Spokeswoman Lee- Ann Stanton said R3 million had been paid to Gateway for the advertisement and it had been Brenton’s responsibility, as the line producer, to pay the South African crew.

“No money is due from Renault to anyone for the project,” she said.

“At best, it’s an invalid dispute between the producer and line producer. While these issues happen, it is unpreced- ented that the line producer (Gateway’s Brenton) tries to drag the agency and client into it, while they themselves have a bad reputation,” said Stanton.

“I’m a small company in South Africa and there is no way I can take on a company like Renault,” said Brenton. “If a billionaire is struggling with them, then what am I to do?”

The pair have allegedly defrauded companies of about R500 000 since 2007.

Since Weekend Argus published a story about this two weeks ago, five other alleged victims have come forward.

Two claimed they had been defrauded during the past few weeks after shooting a Vodashop advertisement in Cape Town for Gateway, while others said they had also been defrauded.

● Obvious Nyanda, owner of Eat Out Film and TV caterers, said Gateway owed him R30 000 for a commercial he catered for two weeks ago.

● Topco director Linsay Shuttleworth said she was owed R50 000 for taking part in the Vodashop advertisement this week.

● A foreign film company owned by Kitisha Gagliana was allegedly defrauded in 2012 when it paid a deposit for an Indian shoot for Forest Essentials.

● Lisa Mackay said Gateway owed R7 000 in petty cash for a December 2007 job involving Mountain Dew India.

● Jason Martin from Frogsquad said Gateway owed him R35 000 for the Renault advertisement.

Other alleged victims include Tank Crew Film Management, The Make- Up Issue, Greenage, Twenty Model Management, Peppadill caterers, Brenton Lockets film and production supplies, production designer Dimitri Repanis and eight companies Repanis had subcontracted.

In a scathing lawyer’s letter sent to Gateway in March by Bobby Amm, the SA Commercial Producers’ Association’s executive officer, he accused Gateway Films of extortion, fraud, misappropriation of funds, unlawful gains, clandestinely escalating the budget, coercive tactics, furnishing fabricated account statements, deliberate and intentional refusal to pay service providers and vendors, harassment, defamation, cheating and intimidation. henriette.geldenhuys@inl.co.za

PICTURE: SUPPLIED. David Brenton, who has been accused of fraud by more than 20 entities