Freed Riana’s boyfriend’s business woes
Gqeberha high court issues final sequestration order against young woman’s partner over unpaid millions
At the height of the frantic search mounted for kidnapped Gqeberha biokineticist Riana Pretorius, the estate of her boyfriend, Carel du Preez, was placed under final sequestration in the city’s high court.
The court order was issued on Wednesday last week, after Du Preez and his company, Retro Reflective (Pty) Ltd, failed to honour a multimillion-rand agreement to purchase another business.
According to court papers, Du Preez had failed to pay the applicants R3.5m plus legal costs, as stipulated by a previous order.
Pretorius, 26, was grabbed outside her workplace in Pickering Street, Newton Park, on Thursday, March 16, by three armed men.
She was shoved into a white Toyota Corolla which was stopped by police in Old Grahamstown Road in Deal Party, with one of the suspected kidnappers arrested, and a firearm and ammunition recovered.
A ransom demand of R2m was made shortly thereafter for her release.
It is understood that after R1.1m was paid over, Pretorius was finally released during the early hours of Friday last week.
While the Pretorius family celebrated the young woman’s safe return after a gruelling eight-day ordeal, false allegations spread on social media at the weekend that Du Preez, 38, had been arrested.
A private investigator had taken to Facebook with the claims but later deleted the post.
However, Du Preez was not spared public criticism and eventually deleted his personal Facebook account.
According to court papers, Du Preez was a director of Retro Reflective, with its business premises in Newton Park.
On December 2 2016, Hantle Infra Planning (Pty) Ltd, together with Penny-Farthing Engineering (Pty) Ltd, entered into a written sale agreement with Retro Reflective, represented by Du Preez.
The business of Hantle, which would be purchased by Retro Reflective, was to be carried on under the name and style of Philock Sign Industries, together with the business assets, including stock and liabilities associated with it.
The agreement was subject to three conditions, all of which were required to be fulfilled by January 31 2017, including that Retro Reflective would conclude a lease agreement with Penny-Farthing Properties.
However, according to court papers, Retro Reflective only made three payments to Hantle of about R32,600 each, totalling just more than R98,000.
The last payment was made on June 19 2018.
“Retro Reflective has thus failed to pay the aforesaid purchase consideration.
“Despite the above, Du Preez attempted to renegotiate the agreement for [the full amount] to be paid over five years.
“No agreement was reached.”
Du Preez had bound himself as surety.
However, according to papers, in June 2018, Du Preez resigned as a director of Retro Reflective.
“On the basis of what is stated herein, the viewpoint is held that such [resignation]
was [allegedly] for ulterior motives to place [Du Preez] in a position to attempt to avoid responsibility as [director or surety].”
On July 1 2018, another individual was appointed director of Retro Reflective.
“Such appointment was merely a scam ... because, in reality, [Du Preez and his partners] continued to run Retro Reflective and had full control of the business,” the papers alleged.
“The board eventually, in terms of a special resolution, resolved to wind up the company.
“On the basis of what is stated herein ... such approach was [allegedly] designed by at least [Du Preez and others] to hide the unlawful or illegal actions to drain Retro Reflective of resources, assets and revenue,” the papers said.
On January 30 2020, Hantle first brought an application for the sequestration of Du Preez’s estate.
The matter was withdrawn later and then reinstated.
In March last year, Du Preez was served with a warrant of execution by the sheriff of the court, together with his business partner, for an amount of R115,000 in legal fees.
He was also ordered to pay Hantle the R3.5m.
On December 13 last year, judge Mandla Makaula placed the estate of Du Preez under provisional sequestration.
Makaula gave him until February 14 to show why he should not be finally sequestrated.
On Wednesday last week, the order was made final.
Du Preez said yesterday that he would appeal against the court ruling.
“This is driven by people with a vendetta against me,” he said.
Meanwhile, jikeleza driver Xolisile “Xosa” Rawutini, 40, the only person to be arrested so far in connection with Pretorius’s kidnapping, is due back in court on April 5 for a formal bail application.
He faces provisional charges of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, though additional charges are likely to be added.
Rawutini was out on bail on two business robbery charges at the time of his arrest.
Pretorius, who is also a director at Geotech Solutions Africa along with her father, Pieter, had walked to a garage in Struandale at about 3am on Friday after being freed.
Apart from some bruising, she was not physically harmed.
Her family has repeatedly declined requests for comment.