MBOMBELA – Bossies Community Justice (BCJ) has again warned the public against a man believed to be defrauding businesses in the name of a fake charity.
According to Mr Jacques Meiring of BCJ, Mr Werner Desouza Ferreira (34) is also using a false affiliation with Bossies to gain the trust and money of businesses to pay over thousands to him. “We are in no way affiliated with him,” he says.
They have launched an urgent search for Ferreira, who has allegedly swindled local establishments out of about R41 000 to date. Meiring says Ferriera poses as a policeman from the dog unit in White River and the police’s tactical response unit, while pretending to raise funds for girls who have been the victims of sexual assault and who are cared for by “Engeltjies van Bet-El”.
Some victims say Ferreira claims he is organising an excursion for the girls to the Kruger National Park. Meiring says he has found no record of the existence of such a care facility. The list of donations Ferreira already received apparently shows that businesses donate from R1 000 to R3 000 each, which are paid into an Absa bank account.
The suspect has short shaved dark hair and a small goatee and apparently drives a silver VW Polo. According to Meiring, his identity document as well as all the addresses and telephone numbers he provides donors with are fake.
He also believes Ferreira has fled the Lowveld, and has been operating all over Mpumalanga. “It is important that anyone who has given him money for the supposed care facility report it to the police immediately. They must let us know the docket numbers too so we can build cases against him.”
Meiring has requested that anyone who sees the suspect or knows where he is urgently contact BCJ on 082-567-5212.
