Five fraud accused held in custody after Richards Bay court appearance

Five fraud accused, including prominent community leaders, remained behind bars after appearing in the Richards Bay Magistrate’s Court this week.

The suspects, aged between 32 and 66, were arrested on Tuesday morning on charges of fraud, money laundering and corruption for crimes committed between December 2020 and March 2021.

They are believed to have been involved in defrauding and/or illegally benefitting from funds of non-profit organisation, the Richards Bay Diwali Committee.

They made their first court appearance on the day of the arrest, but the matter was postponed to Friday for verification of the accused’s details, investigating links to other cases, and other issues of case interference.

All accused were remanded in custody until Friday for a formal bail application.

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