The Hawks confirmed on Monday that they are investigating the alleged theft of forty one quadrillion three hundred and thirteen billion one hundred and four million rand reported by businessman Tokyo Sexwale.
WHILE many believe – including the National Treasury and the Reserve Bank – that former ANC presidential hopeful, Tokyo Sexwale, was scammed after he recently came forward with allegations that billions of rand were siphoned from the Heritage Trust Fund, the Hawks are taking the allegations seriously.
National Police Spokesman, Colonel Katlego Mogale confirmed that investigators had been assigned to investigate two cases that had reported at Sandton Police Station. They are working closely with the prosecutors that handled similar allegations in the past.
Mogale said that the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Lieutenant General Lebeya had personally perused the files and directed closer collaborations on the investigators of four matters that requires similar attention.
“The Hawks shall leave no stone unturned before reaching any conclusion on these matters,” she said.
According to Sexwale who called press conference last week, an unnamed oligarch invested trillions of dollars in the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland.
He said the money was to be used by all African governments, including Indian Ocean Island countries, for their individual philanthropic and humanitarian work at an interest rate of less than 2%.
Sexwale said the funds were deposited in 2016 but he became one of the two South African mandate holders in January 2019.
He however alleged that billions of donor funds were stolen from the central bank and allegedly channelled to 18 local commercial banks including various prominent business people in the country.
Mogale confirmed the cases was reported on 13 March 2021 while the second case was reported on 13 April 2021.
“In the first case, the complainant stated that he was appointed as a Forensic investigator on 6 May 2013 by the Presidency. In support of his appointment, a two-page document signed by the erstwhile employee of the Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) was attached as part of the 101-page document. The purported authority include documents titled Power of Attorney signed by numerous representatives of tribal authorities. In this case, the complainant reports theft of gold worth one hundred and sixty three trillion rands only (R163,000,000,000,000-00) which was recorded between 1966 and 2021. The DPSA indicated that its former employee did not have authority to sign the letter, which is now used by the complainant,” Mogale said.
“In the second case, the same complainant states that he was appointed by the Presidency through the DPSA on 6 May 2013. In this case, he reports, in his 213-page document, the allegations of money laundering, fraud, theft under false pretences, high treason and racketeering. The amount lost is recorded as forty one quadrillion three hundred and thirteen billion one hundred and four million rand only (R41,380,513,104,000,000-00).
The theft includes the alleged monies stolen from former leader Gadaffi which was investigated and found to be untrue,” Mogale said.
Mogale said that the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) was “systematically searching for the truth”.
“Other allegations are reported to be the withholding of White Spiritual Boy and Spiritual Wonder Boy Accounts. Concerns include loaning money from International Monetary Fund (IMF) at high interest rate when countries have enormous reserves in terms of White Spiritual Boy and Spiritual Wonder Boy Accounts. The DPCI has taken note of internet reports relating to “White Spiritual Boy and Spiritual Wonder Boy Accounts” across the globe. Note has also been taken of the court judgment relating to Rosary Trust,” she said.
In a joint statement last week, National Treasury and the SARB said the allegations by Sexwale point to a scam.
“Over the years, National Treasury and the SARB have received many such requests for, or promises, of billions (and now trillions) of rands or dollars, and from experience regard these as simply scams. Any claim that such funds are meant for deserving causes such as Covid-19 relief, social grants or grants for free education are simply empty promises, to secure the interest of the potential victim,” Treasury and SARB said..
The Treasury and the Reserve Bank had previously received correspondence from Sexwale and many others alleging that billions of rands have been stolen from a fund that has been referred to as the ‘White Spiritual Boy Trust’ and which was set up by a foreign donor.
Subsequent investigations by the SARB confirmed that it had no record of the existence of the said fund and it had advised Sexwale in writing that, given the SARB’s experience and knowledge of this and other similar matters, it could only conclude that the alleged fund was a scam.
“It should be noted that Mr Sexwale is not the first prominent person acting on behalf of a Mr Webb or an unknown donor, for such funds, and such requests can be traced to many years before 2016.
“The SARB can confirm that all cross-border transactions are reported to the SARB by commercial banks who are appointed as Authorised Dealers in foreign exchange transactions. The SARB has concluded that there is no evidence to support the existence of such funds.”
IOL
