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Swereen Govender Receives Sentence for Defrauding Investors of R18 Million
Convicted fraudster Swereen Govender has received 40 years in jail from the court of The Specialised Commercial Crimes in Palm Ridge. IOL‘s prior reporting revealed that Govender, aged 57, tricked family and friends into investing in her Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) business, with big dividends promised. Investigations showed that Govender first gave a minimum dividend payment to investors and then stopped that completely. A warrant was issued against her, and she escaped from Gauteng. She was arrested in October 2022 at a lodge on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Durban, where she worked. The spokesperson of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks), Captain Lloyd Ramovha, confirmed that Govender obtained more than R18 million from various victims in 2021 and that she was in custody from the time she was arrested, with the bail bids against her opposed.
Also read: Ex-KPMG Employee Fidelis Moema Granted R50,000 Bail in R16.5 Million Bursary Fraud Case
After diligent endeavours, Govender pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud at the Palm Ridge High Court. The court sentenced her to 40 years imprisonment, with 15 years to be served effectively. Hawks Gauteng’s top man, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, noted that the closure brought the matter to an end and cautioned the public to be on guard against such scams.
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Picture: X / SAPoliceService
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