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Cape Town – A provisional restraint order against former Western Cape police commissioner Arno Lamoer and his corruption co-accused has been extended until next month.
Western Cape High Court Judge Monde Samela on Tuesday extended it until March 14, “pending the finalisation of settlement negotiations between the parties”.
Earlier in the month, the court heard that issues around the order were cleared up.
Prosecutor Billy Downer said the parties had settled the matter and that it would not hold back the case. He said all the accused had legal representation and financial issues had been sorted out.
"Whatever cash is available will be made available by guarantees and payments."
In a curious turn of events, a report by the curator appointed in terms of the order revealed that not all bank accounts could be traced, or that the accounts had negative balances.
The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) had brought the restraint application under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act in November 2016.
Lamoer and three brigadiers – Darius van der Ross, Sharon Govender and her husband Colin Govender – and businessman Salim Dawjee, face 109 charges of corruption, racketeering and money laundering involving R1.6 million. They are all out on bail.
The high-ranking officers allegedly received cash and expensive gifts from Dawjee in exchange for special treatment.
Lamoer was appointed to the post in November 2010, and retired in November 2015. He had been in the service for 25 years.
In a report on February 10, curator Andre Charl van Heerden said that ABSA had been unable to trace the account number provided by Lamoer.
Standard Bank told him that the other account he provided was closed on November 11 last year.
Lamoer’s FNB account had a debit balance of R1 070.29, while another account was invalid, according to Van Heerden.
He put Van der Ross’s pension interest under restraint.
ABSA said it could not trace Van der Ross’s account. His account with FNB had a debit balance of R84.54.
The curator said Colin Govender’s membership with the Government Employees Pension Fund was terminated in September 2015 and his benefits paid out.
“I have been advised by Nedbank that his account has a debit balance of R21 498.37.”
His wife’s pension interest was placed under restraint.
The restraint order was limited to R179 912 for Dawjee, Towbars Cape CC and Towbars King CC; R75 524 for Lamoer; and R7 324 for Van der Ross.
The order against the Govenders, including their interests in annuities and gratuities from their pension fund, was limited to R1.37m.
A provisional date for their corruption trial has been set down for April 18.
