WESTERN CAPE – Ockert Johannes Stephanus Fourie, 57, has been sentenced to an eight year jail term by the Oudtshoorn Magistrate’s Court on Thursday (16th March 2017) for allegedly defrauding ABSA Bank of almost R5-million.
Fourie, a sole director of Close Corporation, Sunprix Grape and Citrus Distribution, defrauded the bank of approximately R4 866 819,98. This occurred after he had successfully transacted with the bank on previous occasions thereby gaining the bank’s trust resulting in the said transaction being approved without the requisite proof.
The money was paid into his account with the understanding that he was due to receive about 597 535 Euros from overseas corporations he had allegedly exported fruits to. He then used the said amount and the bank never received the promised foreign currency. Fourie subsequently switched his business account to a different bank.
Following investigations by the Serious Commercial Crime Unit of the Hawks Fourie was arrested in October 2014 and found guilty as charged in December 2016, he has been granted leave to appeal and is out on bail with stringent conditions pending the application’s outcome.
