Pastor Seth Malefetsane Radebe who appeared in the Kroonstad Magistrates’ Court on fraud charges on Tuesday, has been released on R10 000 bail.
The Hawks arrested the 47-year-old pastor for fraud after some of his congregants allegedly lost millions of rands they had invested in his company.
Four victims claim to have lost R3-million their pastor had allegedly convinced them to invest.
Free State Hawks spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo, said the victims allege that Pastor Radebe of Sanctuary Haven, convinced them in 2013 to invest in his company, Sanctuary Haven Properties.
Singo said the victims were promised lucrative returns after a year of investing. Unfortunately, he said, they never received a cent.
“After several contacts with the suspect, the congregants then persuaded him to pay back the original amount they invested. None of their requests were honoured. As a result, the victims suffered a total loss of more than R3 million.
“The matter was then reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation based in Welkom for further investigation which culminated to the suspect handing himself over to the investigators on Tuesday morning where he was charged,” said Singo.
It is not yet known what Radebe did with the money he allegedly took from the congregants. –IOL
