Former Benoni couple to face R1.7m insurance fraud charge

A couple formerly from Benoni who were nabbed in Knysna for allegedly faking the husband’s death will remain in police custody in the Western Cape until this week.

According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha, the couple were scheduled to apply for bail on November 16 on a charge of the unlawful possession of a firearm, after which they will be transferred to Gauteng to face the initial charge of fraud.

They appeared in the Knysna Magistrate’s Court on November 9 on the charge of the unlawful possession of a firearm after police discovered two allegedly unlicenced firearms when they raided the couple’s home in Knysna on November 8, after receiving a tip-off that the husband, who had been reported dead in Gauteng, was alive.

When the couple moved to the Garden Route, they became known as Chris and Alice Abigail Boshoff.

However, police believe that Chris is in fact Robbie Smith (67), who they believe faked his death in 1999 while residing in Benoni.

Ramovha explained that it had been claimed that Smith claimed died in a car accident in Vosloorus.

An insurance claim was then lodged with Old Mutual, which lead to a payout of just over R1,7m in favour of his wife.

“The couple left Gauteng for KwaZulu-Natal after receiving the money and then settled in the Garden Route,” he said. “Old Mutual was tipped off in 2020 about the possibility that they may have been scammed as Smith was alive.

“Following an internal probe, a case of fraud was registered in October 2020 and assigned to Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Unit for investigation.

“The Hawks team worked tirelessly to trace the couple to their hideout in Knysna, which led to their arrest on November 8, upon a court order,” Ramovha said.

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