Robin McGregor, former chief executive of well-known South African businessman Tony Cotterell’s Kempston Group, will finally face fraud charges four years after he was first arrested.
McGregor is currently dealer principal of the Johannesburg-based Peugeot Commercial Centre, a division of Cotterell’s Ancott Trust.
He was first arrested by the East London police’s commercial branch in connection with alleged fraud in February 2001.
The case against him now for alleged fraud amounting to R160 000 was postponed to January 18 in his absence on December 1.
Inspector Wouter Pretorius of the anti-corruption task team investigated the allegations after the head of the team, Piet Wolvaard, ordered that the matter be taken up again.
McGregor, who also headed Cotterell’s vast property interests, was arrested in 2001 before he was due to fly to Johannesburg on a business trip.
He was out on R20 000 bail and the case had been postponed, but since then no progress was made until Wolvaard asked that the police docket be forwarded to him.
McGregor was arrested at the Southernwood post office in East London after he allegedly tried to deposit a cheque for R21 900, which had been rejected.
At the time, the police said they also found a file that contained other cheques allegedly meant to be deposited in different accounts.
McGregor, who first took leave of absence and then resigned, was later reappointed by Cotterell.
Cotterell, who was not aware that the case against McGregor has been reopened, said he could not comment and that justice has to run its course. — Sapa