A law firm has been praised by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for acting in good faith after the firm indicated it had part of the R18-million stolen by an accountant in its trust account.
Meyer van der Walt Inc, based in Tlokwe, North West, brought it to the NPA's attention that jailed former North West University (NWU) senior financial officer Bradley Freeman had paid the law firm more than R153000 as a deposit and transfer fees to buy a property in Mahikeng.
ALSO READ:Varsity boss gets 30 years for stealing R17m
This would have been the fourth property Freeman bought with the money he stole from the institution.
He previously bought three properties worth between R665000 and R1.23-million each with proceeds of unlawful activities, according to NPA regional spokesman Frank Lesenyego. He said Freeman was arrested while trying to buy his fourth property and the transaction was cancelled.
Meyer van der Walt Inc had been holding the money in trust pending the finalisation of the transaction.
"After the finalisation of the case the Asset Forfeiture Unit [AFU] obtained a preservation order to the value of R163399.80 against the accused for the money held in trust," Lesenyego said.
He said evidence shows that Meyer van der Walt Inc acted in good faith as they were the ones who brought it to the NPA's attention that the amount was still available in its trust account. Freeman, who has been serving a 30-year jail sentence at the Rooigrond Prison in Mahikeng since March, stole about R18-million from NWU and bought luxury cars and properties.
He bought a R1.4-million Mercedes-Benz M63 AMG for his mother Judick Ann Freeman, who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.
Freeman and his mother pleaded guilty to nearly 140 counts and alternative counts of fraud, theft, money laundering, and acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities.
Other cars he bought included a BMW 335i, a Ford Ranger and VW Amarok 4x4s as well as a VW Citi Golf.
He stole student loan funds from EduLoan and mining firm Assmang and also helped himself to money from Sasol Inzalo Foundation, which had science fellowship programmes for chemistry honours and master's students.
Freeman also took money from Crail Service Station, which rented the canteen. The AFU recovered assets worth more than R11.1-million while NWU got back R8.4-million.
Freeman was a beneficiary of the JR Freeman Family Trust, of which his mother was a trustee.
Firm blows whistle on fraudster - stolen cash kept in trust account
A law firm has been praised by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for acting in good faith after the firm indicated it had part of the R18-million stolen by an accountant in its trust account.
Meyer van der Walt Inc, based in Tlokwe, North West, brought it to the NPA's attention that jailed former North West University (NWU) senior financial officer Bradley Freeman had paid the law firm more than R153000 as a deposit and transfer fees to buy a property in Mahikeng.
ALSO READ:Varsity boss gets 30 years for stealing R17m
This would have been the fourth property Freeman bought with the money he stole from the institution.
He previously bought three properties worth between R665000 and R1.23-million each with proceeds of unlawful activities, according to NPA regional spokesman Frank Lesenyego. He said Freeman was arrested while trying to buy his fourth property and the transaction was cancelled.
Meyer van der Walt Inc had been holding the money in trust pending the finalisation of the transaction.
"After the finalisation of the case the Asset Forfeiture Unit [AFU] obtained a preservation order to the value of R163399.80 against the accused for the money held in trust," Lesenyego said.
He said evidence shows that Meyer van der Walt Inc acted in good faith as they were the ones who brought it to the NPA's attention that the amount was still available in its trust account. Freeman, who has been serving a 30-year jail sentence at the Rooigrond Prison in Mahikeng since March, stole about R18-million from NWU and bought luxury cars and properties.
He bought a R1.4-million Mercedes-Benz M63 AMG for his mother Judick Ann Freeman, who was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.
Freeman and his mother pleaded guilty to nearly 140 counts and alternative counts of fraud, theft, money laundering, and acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities.
Other cars he bought included a BMW 335i, a Ford Ranger and VW Amarok 4x4s as well as a VW Citi Golf.
He stole student loan funds from EduLoan and mining firm Assmang and also helped himself to money from Sasol Inzalo Foundation, which had science fellowship programmes for chemistry honours and master's students.
Freeman also took money from Crail Service Station, which rented the canteen. The AFU recovered assets worth more than R11.1-million while NWU got back R8.4-million.
Freeman was a beneficiary of the JR Freeman Family Trust, of which his mother was a trustee.
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