Johannesburg - The Hawks have arrested four employees of the Minileit Company (Pty) Ltd. in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, for stealing platinum plates worth over R6.3 million.
The men were apprehended by the Gqeberha Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in collaboration with Priority Crime Specialised Investigation as well as the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Ronaldo Henry Jason, 52; Ruwayne Eddie Luppan, 35; Roual Rowell Shelby Martin, 30; and Quewin Kirsten September, 25, were nabbed for theft and contravention of the Organised Crime Act on July 7, 2023.
According to the Hawks, between April 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022, the four accused allegedly acted with “common purpose to misappropriate stock that was in the form of platinum plates, which were sold unlawfully to nearby scrap metal businesses.”!
"It is further reported that all the accused successfully sold platinum plates for their personal gain, and cash was directed into their pockets. The company conducted its internal investigation, then 'red flags' were picked up, and the matter was referred to the Gqeberha Serious Commercial Crime Investigation of the Hawks for probing.
“It is further reported that more investigations were conducted and revealed that the company suffered a loss of over R6.3 million," said the Hawks.
The accused made a short appearance in the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Friday, and were released on R500 bail each. The case was remanded to July 20, 2023, for legal representation.
The Star