Alleged investment scamster finally caught

A WOMAN who had allegedly fallen victim to an alleged scamster is hoping that justice takes its course now that the fugitive has been arrested after months on the run.

Swereen Govender, 55, was arrested in Durban last Friday after evading arrest since last year.

The SAPS together with the Hawks last year issued a notice seeking the public’s assistance in locating Govender. According to police, a warrant of arrest was issued for Govender, who allegedly scammed unsuspecting investors for an estimated amount of R18 million.

This week one of Govender’s alleged victims, who did not want to be named, said: “I am relieved that Swereen has been arrested. I hope that she does the right thing now. She has taken advantage of many vulnerable people who trusted her. Justice must take its course now.”

She said when she became friends with Govender in 2017, she was unaware of her past and that she had allegedly been involved in fraudulent activities.

An elderly Pretoria couple last year alleged to the Sunday Tribune that they were convinced by Govender to invest R200 000 in projects in return for dividends, but were instead left penniless.

Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha said Govender stood accused of investment fraud for allegedly swindling victims of an estimated R18m.

“She was arrested at a lodge in Mahatma Gandhi Road in Durban where she was found in the kitchen apparently working. She offered no resistance when approached by detectives from Durban central police station, led by Brigadier Vish Naidoo, to whom the wanted suspect is known by sight.

“Govender appeared in the Durban Magistrate’s Court the same day and was remanded in custody. On Wednesday she appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg. The case was postponed to October 25 for a possible bail application and the adding of additional dockets,” said Ramovha.

It was alleged that from June 2019 to date, Govender lured family and friends to invest in her personal protective equipment (PPE) business by promising lucrative dividends.

The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation revealed that around March 2021, Govender pretended to be a director of Aurum Line Pty (Ltd), a PPE company, an existing company she had no ties to.

It is reported that through the use of this company, she lured and misled potential investors to invest in her venture. She promised high monthly returns on investments made, which never materialised.