Just an hour before walking down the aisle, alleged fraudster, George Vorster, was nabbed by police and taken into custody on several charges of fraud.
What should have been a day of celebration for the couple turned into a nightmare as the Pinetown SAPS Detective Unit swooped in on him as he was getting dressed for his nuptials to an ordained Dutch Reformed Minister from Mtubatuba in KwaZulu-Natal. Vorster, 31, is believed to have defrauded the Dutch Reformed Church in Escombe, Durban, of an estimated R1 million. This was just one of the charges he faced when he appeared before the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court a week ago. Rhyno Lombaard, of LieTech Polygraph & Forensic Services, was approached by a client to track and trace Vorster as he was believed to have swindled the client out of more than R1.4 million just over a year ago. It is believed that Vorster managed to evade the law by using false addresses and fictitious aliases. According to Lombaard, he received several complaints from clients claiming that Vorster had defrauded them. This sparked an investigation into the allegations against Vorster which eventually led to his arrest. Upon further investigations by Lombaard, it was found that several criminal cases had been registered against Vorster at Pinetown, Durban North, Sandton and Cape Town SAPS.
Lombaard said that Vorster’s modus operandi was to defraud companies that trusted him to pay import and export taxes on their behalf by not paying the full amounts. According to Lombaard, he received information regarding Vorster’s wedding ceremony to be held at the Didima Resort in Cathedral Peak, Drakensberg. Accompanied by Detective-Constable, Thabiso Gcumisa and Detective-Sergeant, Denver Govender of the SAPS Pinetown Detective’s Unit – the search for Vorster began. The suspect was found in a chalet, half dressed in his wedding attire. According to reports, Vorster’s bride-to-be was only a few metres away in a nearby chalet having her hair and make up done when he was taken into custody. KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson, Thembeka Mbele, confirmed that 31-year-old Vorster was arrested for fraud after a warrant of arrest had been issued. “He (Vorster) appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court on 22 June. The case was remanded for further investigation. The accused was denied bail and will remain in custody until his next court appearance,” she said.
