Louis Liebenberg. (Photo: Isabel Venter/Maroela Media)
Louis Liebenberg, the controversial diamond peddler,’s list of alleged crimes is getting longer and longer.
He and his co-accused are currently facing a total of 127 charges, which now also include four charges of racketeering.
Liebenberg, his wife, Dezzi, and their seven co-accused appeared again in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where the final indictment was served on the group by the state.
According to this document, which covers more than 140 pages, there are now 80 additional charges and a list of almost 170 possible state witnesses that will be called.
The trial of the accused, who also include Magdelena Petronella Kleynhans (55), Johannes Jacobus Badenhorst (43), Helena Dorothea Amy Schulenburg (61), Adriaan Dewald Strydom (36), Christelle Badenhorst (43), Nicolize van Heerden (63) and Walter Niedinger (57), will begin in October in the Pretoria High Court.
All the accused will appear again on June 19 to indicate whether they will be ready for the trial to begin.
The state argues that the group, in terms of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act, operated a criminal enterprise through a pattern of organized crime.
Further charges include 61 counts of fraud, 13 counts of theft, two of illegal trade in diamonds, 38 of money laundering, one of corruption, and one count each of breaching the Banking Act, the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, the Companies Act and the Cybercrimes Act respectively.
The state claims that Liebenberg’s diamond package business functioned as a Ponzi scheme. Funds from new investors were used to pay out earlier investors to create the illusion of a successful business.
In addition, it is alleged that millions of rand were used for personal luxuries and unrelated legal fees, while no proper accounting of the diamond transactions was kept.
A forensic investigation led the state to nearly R100 million hidden in different accounts, companies or trust accounts, the deed states.
Of this, an amount of more than R96 250 000.00 was allegedly paid over by Dezzi for legal costs of “third parties who had no connection with the diamond package business”.
Some of these payments’ references included “Lawtons Africa, Malherbe Traub Faure Inc, Zuma (Downer) security, while still connected with a WhatsApp group under the name of NPA v Zuma, says the state.
Liebenberg and Dezzi remain in custody.
The court also heard that Liebenberg is now 24th on the waiting list of the Weskoppies psychiatric hospital. He was referred for observation last year after the court found that Liebenberg’s focus was on matters other than his bail application.
Liebenberg will appear again on May 22 for the process to be concluded.
- The amount in the report has been amended since publication. – Ed