By KEDIBONE MOLAETSI
17 March 2025- Pretoria’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), obtained a preservation order in the Pretoria High Court on 12 March 2025, to preserve a house in Hartbeespoort, North West worth R2.2 million belonging to Johannes Jakobus Badenhorst aka Hannes Badenhorst and his wife, Christelle Badenhorst.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson in Gauteng, Lumka Mahanjana said the house was purchased in May 2022, for an amount of R2.2 million and registered in the names of Johannes Jakobus Badenhorst, aka Hannes Badenhorst, and his wife, Christelle Badenhorst, who are still residing in the house.
Mahanjana said investigations by the AFU revealed that the funds used to purchase the property originated from Tarioco (Pty) Ltd, which is one of the companies founded by Louis Petrus Liebenberg as part of the Forever Diamonds and Gold group of companies (FDG group of companies). She further said Hannes Badenhorst was one of the Directors of Tarioco.
“They ran a syndicate where members of the public were enticed to partake in a Joint Venture agreement with the FDG group of companies by purchasing diamond parcels, which would supposedly be sold by the FDG group of companies and the profits shared. The joint venture partners were then promised high returns on their investments.
“However, evidence revealed that the scheme was fraud, the diamond parcels did not exist, and the investors’ funds were used to purchase a mine and properties for the directors,” she said.
Mahanjana added that evidence revealed that incoming investors were paid with the investments of existing investors, which carries the hallmark of a classic Ponzi scheme. She said the house that is preserved does not form part of the assets seized by the liquidators of Tariomix.
“The next step is to apply for a final forfeiture order, when granted the house will be sold on public auction and the proceeds paid into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account.
“The criminal case against the two and others implicated Liebenberg, and 9 others will appear on 8 July 2025, at the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court,” said Mahanjana.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Pretoria AFU, advocate Martin Mafojane, welcomed the preservation order and wants to assure the public that the AFU remains committed in confiscating proceeds of crime.
The Guardian 