Riaan Dandrey Belelie was sentenced at the George Regional Court on Wednesday for a fraudulent house sale transaction, which cost the complainant R300 000.
Image: Supplied / Hawks
A fraudster has been sentenced to eight years' imprisonment after defrauding a complainant of R300,000.
The convict, 39-year-old Riaan Dandrey Belelie, was sentenced at the George Regional Court on Wednesday for a fraudulent house sale transaction, as confirmed by Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani.
According to Hani, Belelie went about the transaction in 2018.
On the sentence, Hani said: “This comes after he entered into a plea agreement with the State on charges of fraud, forgery, and uttering. He was sentenced to eight years' imprisonment, of which four years is suspended for five years.
“It is reported that on 3 August 2018, the complainant agreed to sell a house to the accused for the amount of R780,000. According to the terms of the agreement, the accused should pay a deposit of R350,000 on the date of signing the contract,” said Hani.
The court heard that the balance of R430,000 should be paid in three instalments of R143,334, and further, the amount of R5,000 per month for rent from September 2018 until November 2018.
“On 5 August 2018, a proof of payment to the amount of R300,000 was sent via email to the complainant. It was sent on a Standard Bank internet banking letterhead. Upon the receipt of proof of payment, the accused moved into the property. It was later discovered that the proof of payment was forged. This led to the arrest of the accused, which further resulted in his sentencing,” said Hani.
The complainant suffered a potential loss of R300,000 and Belelie will effectively serve four years' direct imprisonment.
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