De Villiers trio nabbed and their assets seized - National ...

Office of theNational Director of PublicProsecutionsTO: ALL MEDIATel: +27 12 845 6000Fax: +27 12 845 7291Victoria & GriffithsMxenge Building123 WestlakeAvenueWeavind ParkSilvertonPretoriaP/Bag X752Pretoria0001South Africawww.npa.gov.zaDATE: 04 MARCH 2009RE: De Villiers trio nabbed by Police and assets seized by NPAToday Director Piet Byleveld of the South African Police Service andhis team arrested Nicole Romy de Villiers, Jean Paul de Villiers andPierre Joubert de Villiers after obtaining warrants for their arrest.Acting in close coordination with the Police, the Johannesburg AssetForfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)seized assets belonging to the suspects, their respective companiesand trusts at the same time. The AFU acted in terms of a restraintorder obtained from the Johannesburg High Court.It is alleged that the De Villiers trio committed 31 counts of fraud,alternatively theft, and 15 counts of money laundering, bymisappropriating R1.4 million from a law firm in 2007.After an intensive financial investigation by the AFU, assets in excessof the amount of the fraud were frozen as unexplained wealth ownedby the trio. The assets include: five immovable properties, a host ofluxury vehicles, including an exclusive Bentley Turbo, 13 bankaccounts, household items, 16 companies and three trusts.The successful arrest was the result of extensive investigationsconducted by Byleveld and his team.J u s t i c e i n o u r s o c i e t y , s o t h a t p e o p l e c a n l i v e i n f r e e d o m a n d s e c u r i t yPage 1 of 2

The suspects will appear in the Special Commercial Crimes Court onthe 5 March 2009.Enquiries:NPA SpokespersonTlali Tlali082 3333 880G u i d e d b y t h e C o n s t i t u t i o n , w e i n t h e N a t i o n a l P r o s e c u t i n g A u t h o r i t ye n s u r e j u s t i c e f o r t h e v i c t i m s o f c r i m e b y p r o s e c u t i n g w i t h o u t f e a rf a v o u r o r p r e j u d i c e a n d b y w o r k i n g w i t h o u r p a r t n e r s a n d t h e p u b l i c t os o l v e a n d p r e v e n t c r i m ePage 2 of 2