Embattled diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg has released a video message from the Bronkhorstspruit police station, where he and his wife, Dezzi, are currently being detained.
Liebenberg and his wife will appear in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court on Thursday after they were arrested in a Gauteng country club on Tuesday night.
Six others were apprehended in Gauteng and North West to face charges of fraud, money laundering, theft and racketeering involving a R4 billion they allegedly swindled out of victims.
The arrests, which came after a five-year investigation, were led by the Northern Cape Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit, and it’s alleged that the suspects are part of a diamond syndicate involved in dealing with unpolished diamonds and fraud.
Liebenberg, who has close ties to former president Jacob Zuma, is believed to be the mastermind behind the alleged fraud.
In the video that was shared on his closed social media groups and seen only once by The Star, Liebenberg seems energy driven.
“Good morning. I am doing well after I have been arrested. I can see Dezzi and I can wave to her. I pray that she will be granted bail soon,” Liebenberg says in the video.
He also intimated in the video that he would not be applying for bail any time soon because he wanted “the dust to settle”.
Liebenberg then addresses the recent arrests of several individuals connected to the case, including his personal assistant, Nicky van Heerden, and former lawyer, Walter Niedinger.
However, he claims they will testify against him. The identities of the other six arrested individuals have not been officially confirmed.
He further proclaims in the video: “Louis has always been honest and straightforward about what’s happening... I know who I am and what I am trying to do. This is the most important thing at this stage,” he said.
Liebenberg further said in Afrikaans: “Voorwaarts, mars” loosely translated “I’m marching forward”.
The arrests come after Liebenberg’s company, Tariomix, also known as Forever Diamonds and Gold, was liquidated on April 11, 2024, following a billion-rand investor scandal.
According to Hawks spokesperson, Colonel Philani Nkwalase, diamond investors have been scammed out of over R4 billion since 2019.
The Hawks have been investigating Tariomix since 2019.
It is claimed that Liebenberg would advertise unpolished diamonds on social media, inviting potential investors to invest in his business with promises of lucrative returns that never materialised.
This is not Liebenberg’s first run-in with authorities; in 2021, his bank accounts were frozen due to allegations of money laundering and allegedly running a Ponzi scheme, but he was acquitted in 2023.
Nkwalase said after the arrests: “The suspects include a couple wherein the husband is alleged to be the mastermind behind the scam along with his wife.”
He said they were expecting more arrests to come.
During the initial investigations involving Tariomix, Liebenberg had called it a “relentless pursuit of his claims, hiding behind the guise of ‘asset recovery’.”
During a raid, Liebenberg’s wife’s personal belongings were seized by officials despite proof that the residences were rented before their marriage.
Liebenberg initially condemned the actions as “unjust” and a “gross abuse of power”, saying that his wife’s possessions were unlawfully seized at the time, violating their rights.
The pursuit of assets extended to Liebenberg’s offices in Kempton Park and a property in Durbanville, Cape Town, rented by his wife.
Possessions were confiscated, leaving Liebenberg outraged.
“They barged into my wife’s home and took everything... It’s pure intimidation and harassment,” he initially stated.
“We will not be bullied any longer... The truth will come out, and those responsible will be held to account. Justice will prevail,” he had declared at the time.
The Star
mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za