NELSPRUIT – Mr Derek Poole has been allowed a temporary reprieve from the numerous fraud charges he faces since he is only due in court again towards the end of the month.
After numerous postponements, Poole reappeared on fraud charges in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. The case was postponed again for further investigation until May 23.
The day before that, he is due in court in both Nelspruit and Hazyview. Poole’s trial was scheduled to begin in Hazyview last Thursday, but his lawyer could not attend the proceedings. Poole is out on bail. Now he is due in both courts on the same day.
The fraud charge Poole faces in Hazyview relates to a complaint made to the police by Ms Carol van der Westhuizen of GAP Tours. She alleged that Poole owed her about R25 000 for taking a tour group of his on safari in June last year.
The accused used to be a tour operator and was thought to have been working in the Kruger National Park when he was arrested there on October 29.
In Nelspruit, he is up for both assault and fraud. One of the fraud charges relates to complaints levelled against him by Mr Victor Pitchers who claims he was defrauded of approximately R150 000 through a business, Kurger’s Hub, which they ran together. The assault charge was laid by Mr Louis-John Havemann after Poole allegedly hit him in April during an argument over money owed in unpaid rent.
