Two men arrested for fraudulent letter
Two men believed to have devised and distributed a fraudulent letter stating that the George Municipality will issue new taxi operating permits, appeared in the
George Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Wednesday 12 December. Cornelius Esau (50) and Hendrick Phillips (68) were arrested on Monday 10 December in Parkdene and Protea Park. They were each granted bail of R2 000 and are due back in court on 13 March 2019. The letter, which has a forged signature of Municipal Manager Trevor Botha, was brought to the attention of the municipality on 29 November.
Captain Malcolm Pojie, the Southern Cape police spokesperson, said a thorough investigation by the Eden Cluster detectives led to the arrest of the suspects who have allegedly defrauded a number of taxi owners in George and surroundings out of thousands of rand, using a falsified letter they distributed among taxi-owners. “One suspect (50) allegedly offered the ‘new permits’ at a rate of at least R5 000 cash. The suspects allegedly received tens of thousands of rand impacting about six different victims, of whom some have paid over substantial amounts of cash for multiple socalled permits that were never issued.
The Department of Transport, in conjunction with the George Municipality, has placed a moratorium on the issuing of new licences in November 2009. This moratorium is still in place and has not been repealed,” said Pojie. The police appeal to anyone who might have fallen victim to this scam to contact the investigation officer, Sgt Jacobus Maton, on 044 803 4526 / 073 046 8482 or Crime Stop on 08600 10111.
Revival of old association
Before the arrests, a source told the George Herald that the letter in question was distributed among drivers who were planning on joining a former taxi association, the George huurmotors vereniging. Esau was said to be trying to revive this association, which was active before the introduction of the GO GEORGE buses.
The source said that he has seen the letter in the possession of some taxi drivers and that they were told that the new licences can be obtained at R5 000. The George Herald then contacted Esau, and he confirmed that they are preparing for the relaunch of the George-huurmotors vereniging.
He said they are indeed in a process of restarting this organisation and are finalising the logistics.
An interview was scheduled with the George Herald two weeks ago, but it was repeatedly postponed by
Esau and eventually didn’t
take place.