A fraud convict allegedly used the internet while serving time in prison to devise scams to fleece golf enthusiasts of millions of rands, the Wynberg Regional Court heard on Monday.
A document handed to Magistrate Robert Henney told how Maurice de Grandhomme, well known in golfing circles, was assigned by the prison authorities to take charge of the kiosk at the Pollsmoor Prison golf driving range, where he also instructed enthusiasts practising at the range.
It is alleged that as a golf instructor on the range, De Grandhomme met and influenced wealthy foreign tourists visiting the range, and persuaded them to invest in prime property on the estate.
De Grandhomme and his co-accused, Brian Lombard — a chartered accountant who had been removed from the roll, and whom De Grandhomme met in prison — presently face charges of theft, fraud, forgery and violations of both the Prevention of Organised Crime Act as well as the Companies Act.
Lombard was recently released on R80 000 bail, while De Grandhomme has launched a bail application that is opposed by Scorpions prosecutor Bruce Morrison SC.
Scorpions senior special investigator Elizabeth Vermeulen told the bail hearing that De Grandhomme and Lombard were arrested in September, after De Grandhomme’s release from prison.
De Grandhomme had served seven years and three months of an 18-year jail sentence imposed by the Cape High Court on charges of fraud and violations of the Exchange Control Act, she said.
She said the investigation was far from complete.
Asked by Morrison why she had not waited until the probe was finished before arresting him, she told the court: ”He was arrested as a matter of urgency — before he could fleece more victims.”
She said the Scorpions had started the investigation after a complaint from Mariana Ferguson, who allegedly was fraudulently induced by De Grandhomme to become involved with him in a fixed-property business venture.
Vermeuelen told the court that De Grandhomme started his alleged scams while serving time in prison for fraud. She alleged he and Lombard had set up front companies, as vehicles for setting up bogus transactions.
Although Lombard had been involved to a lesser degree in the alleged scams, De Grandhomme had introduced him to potential victims as his accountant — giving the impression that all was above board.
Vermeulen said it had been extremely difficult to track down De Grandhomme, as he moved from one place to another and even used a false identity number.
She considered him a flight risk, and was investigating a suspicion that he had access to funds abroad.
She told the court: ”It is my responsibility to oppose bail for him. He needs money, and his only means is to persuade new victims to invest in his property schemes.” — Sapa