NELSPRUIT – The man facing various charges of fraud in the Lowveld and Gauteng, is allegedly continuing with his tricks despite his imminent trials.
Mr Derek Poole is facing five charges of fraud in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court, fraud charges in Hazyview, and four charges of fraud and one of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm in Nelspruit.
Last week Ms Ruby Terblanche, a family friend of Poole, who lives in Amanzimtoti, contacted Lowvelder. “We grew up together. Our parents were friends. We came into contact again after 26 years,” she said. He stayed with her, until she recently asked him to leave after their relationship suffered over a website he had designed for her Bugzees Preschool. She had paid him R4 800 to design it and wanted the passwords and login details in order to make changes to the site.
She said, when he refused to tell her, she contacted the web designer in India asking him for the information and when Poole discovered this, he threatened her. “He then gave me an invoice for R17 000 for the website.”
The designer, Mr Bhuvnesh Aggarwal explained to Terblanche that he was waiting for full payment from Poole, who was operating as TradeZa. “Each day he has a different excuse. I have a team of 10 people and I have paid for all the expense on his projects from my own pocket.” Terblanche maintained that Poole, with whom she had managed to catch up, was not a bad person. “I am sure
you will get your money.”
However, the relationship soured. Poole sent her an email accompanying the new invoice, “Pay the attached invoice and it will be done as requested. You can then access all the platforms and do as you wish with them.”
Aggarwal told Lowvelder he was also threatened by Poole. He said his experience of working with him was a nightmare. The two met through www.elance.com, a website which brings buyers and sellers of services together. Aggarwal designed four websites for him, and did online marketing for the sites. He said Poole explained why he had not paid from November to February. It amounted to about US$3 500, of which only a fraction had been paid.
“Finally, after two and a half months we took down two sites for which he hadn’t paid. Later he sent us a threatening email.” It stated that Poole had hired a private investigator who had copies of all the emails between Aggarwal and Ruby, including the Facebook friend requests. “I have everything I need to open a case. Now all I want from you is a statement showing that you have received $225 and $96 and this matter is closed. You offered to pay the $96 back? If you don’t want to do that, then please send me a statement showing me what has been allocated?”
Aggarwalsaid he paid back the $96 since the threats. “I have been in the website business since 2005 and its the first time I have faced such a person. I agree there are losses in business and $200 to $300 in two to three months is considered, but the loss with Derek was not only for money. “You could say it was mental harassment, loss of time and money while working with him for three months. Now I’m so wary that I’m no longer taking any online jobs from South Africa.”
He said he removed two sites from the server, Poole removed one himself and the other (Terblanche’s) was still live.
Poole told Lowvelder the allegations were not true. He explained that he did the website at a cheaper rate for Terblanche. He said he sent her the R17 000 invoice to show her the true value of the work he had done.
“You don’t give access codes to a client. She was too impatient. She made contact with my designer. She wanted to be able to change things, despite having no knowledge of how to do it. “I have since given her access to the site. The first problem was in her making contact with the designer, which was unethical.”
Aggarwal sent an apology to Terblanche to that effect: “I think I have done wrong by discussing mine and Derek’s relationship with you. He has been our client and I feel it was against our business ethics that I discussed our business with you.”
Earlier this week Poole also confirmed to Terblanche that she would have full access to the site and owed him no money. He told Lowvelder that the $3 500 Aggarwal claim the work cost him, was ridiculous. “He did a lousy job. He didn’t finish them.”
For his previous court appearances, Poole was due in both Nelspruit and Hazyview on the same day. He failed to show up at Hazyview, and a warrant of arrest was issued. His next court appearances are scheduled for March 12 in Wynberg and March 14 in Nelspruit.
