Putting on the dog: The charismatic and charming Johan Carel Fouche has allegedly conned tens of people out of their money.
Former attorney, fraudster Johan Carel Fouche, who appears to have operated above the law he once presided over as a relief magistrate in KwaZulu-Natal, has been described as “charming”, “persuasive” and a “smooth talker”.
Fouche spent time in Westville Prison after he was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment, five of which were conditionally suspended, in 2009. This was after he entered into a plea bargain, pleading guilty to 70 counts of fraud and theft involving several victims and a sum of R138 597.
The media at the time dubbed Fouche the “Casanova” fraudster for his modus operandi in which he used confidence tricks to con more than 30 women while romancing them in Durban and Pietermaritzburg. He presided as a relief magistrate in courts throughout KZN in the 1990s.
According to The Witness newspaper, Fouche’s lawyer at the time, Kevin Morris, told the court that his crimes were the result of a gambling problem.
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However, in handing down sentencing regional court magistrate Chris van Vuuren said only a jail sentence was appropriate for his “serious crimes”.
“You have a choice when you come out. You can either resume your life, or if you commit crimes again, you will be returned to jail, probably for a very long time,” Van Vuuren told him. Fouche also had a previous conviction at the time.
But it seems that when he got out of jail some seven years later, he went straight back to business.
He opened a string of companies, despite the fact that he was a convicted fraudster, and according to his fresh victims allegedly used firms in a clever scheme with associate Leonie Dempers to get ” investors” to “buy” the homes of scores of indebted consumers.
Some of the more than 15 business names under which he has operated have included 2 Brainz Consulting, Asiphakame Urban Renewal, Imali Financial Holdings, Imali Advance, Ryskosys, Guardian Legal Administrative Services, Yard on Esselen, Wealthsmiths Africa, K2018414509 (South Africa) and K2018414509 (South Africa).
His friends and victims have described Fouche as “charming, persuasive and a smooth talker”.
This story was made possible by the M&G Guardians Project in partnership with the Adamela Trust.
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