The Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court ruled that Zietta Janse van Rensburg will remain in custody while the state verifies her addresses, following testimony from the investigating officer that she is a flight risk.

Zietta and her former father-in-law, Johan Janse van Rensburg, had their first court appearance yesterday. The Lowvelder reported they were charged with theft, fraud and money laundering. Her bail application was heard today and postponed until tomorrow when it is expected to be finalised.

Johan’s bail of R10 000, granted following the pair’s arrest yesterday, was extended. He was ordered to return to court on May 14 for a possible regional court date.

During today’s bail application, investigating officer Richard Mandla Mphepheta told the court that Zietta was a flight risk. Besides the current case, the Hawks were investigating an additional seven cases against her, with a combined value of about R18m.

Mphepheta said that Zietta had failed to disclose to the court that she owns three residences.

“I also believe she is a flight risk because I have been told that she was in the process of selling her furniture and other goods. Apparently because she intends to flee,” explained Mphepheta.

He said when he arrested her at one of her residences in Malalane, he found neatly packed boxes and a big blue bag that indicated she intended to leave.

Marco Lamberti, a Johannesburg-based lawyer representing Zietta, put it to Mphepheta that he was lying in his evidence. He produced municipal documents showing that the other two residences, both owned by a Van Rensburg, did not belong to the accused.

Lamberti accused Mphepheta of having failed to investigate the matter properly. Mphepheta admitted to the court that he had not verified that the other two residences belonged to Zietta.

When reading her affidavit before magistrate Patrick Morris, Lamberti pointed out that Zietta had no previous convictions. He did confirm that she was facing other charges that were due to be heard in the Tonga Magistrate’s Court from April 20 – 22.

Mphepheta recommended that, if she were to be granted bail, the amount should be at least R200 000.

“I can afford to pay R5 000 in respect of bail. I had to obtain the funds from my father. Together with requesting financial assistance from him to secure the services of my legal representative, I cannot afford to have the funds forfeited due to non-compliance with any inherent conditions of bail or any specific condition the honourable court can deem appropriate to impose,” the affidavit read.

The court heard that the charges relate to an amount of R14m that a businessman deposited into Johan’s Standard Bank trust account for the purchase of land in Mbombela about five years ago.

Mphepheta said the complainant made the payment after Janse van Rensburg allegedly convinced him that she and her former father-in-law, as lawyers, would purchase the stand on his behalf.

“Accused number one (Zietta) deceived my complainant, who ended up not getting the stand until he approached other lawyers to establish what was going on,” Mphepheta told the court.

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