Investigations into corruption at the Pretoria deeds office have resulted in a number of high-profile arrests and a conviction.
The corruption was uncovered by an investigation into the irregular and illegal transfer of 33 properties owned by Johannesburg Property Company in 2010.
Pogisa Mesefo, the former chief registrar of deeds in Pretoria; Edmund Sibisi, the former acting assistant registrar at the same office; and Hazel Witbooi, a former employee of Nam-Ford attorneys in Johannesburg, were arrested by the Hawks on charges of corruption, fraud and theft about 10 days ago and appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Pretoria.
The case against them was postponed and Mesefo and Sibisi were released on bail of R4 000 each and Witbooi R2 000.
Their arrest and the charges they face are believed to be linked to the conviction of former Nam-Ford employee Allison Fouche in terms of a plea bargain agreement with the Pretoria Specialised Crime Court in September last year on 64 counts of corruption.
These counts involved the unlawful payment of R889 500 between March 2009 and July 2010 to Sibisi and Mesefo to expedite the registration of property transfers for housing and property developer Baldwin Properties, which was one of Nam-Ford’s biggest clients at the time.
Fouche, a former manager and paralegal conveyancing sector secretary at the Roman Management Trust, which had been subcontracted to perform all the operational functions for Nam-Ford, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment suspended for five years.
The charge sheet stated that Fouche and Witbooi met Mesefo and Sibisi in Pretoria on the instructions of Joyce Nam-Ford.
They met with a view to speeding up the registration of property transfers because of problems experienced in obtaining rates clearance certificates from the Johannesburg City Council.
The charge sheet also stated they reached agreement with Sibisi, with the approval of Mesefo, that the deeds for property developer Baldwin Properties lodged by Nam-Ford would be expedited by Sibisi for a fee of R500 a deed, which was later increased to R1 000 a deed.
It was a requirement at the Pretoria deeds office that rates clearance certificates must be submitted before deeds were registered.
The charge sheet added that Baldwin Properties, through its representatives, made funds available for the cash payments to Sibisi and Mesefo for deeds registered and the money was paid to Sibisi and/or Mesefo by Fouche and Witbooi.
It was further stated that Alfred Ford, an internal bookkeeper at the firm and the husband of Joyce Nam-Ford, would also fund payments to Sibisi and Mesefo when cash was not available from Baldwin Properties. It claimed Ford and Joyce Nam-Ford were aware of this arrangement and these payments were carried out on their instructions after it was agreed to by Joyce Nam-Ford and the directors at Baldwin Properties.
This arrangement is in direct contrast with the official policy and regulations of the deeds office and is unlawful.
In terms of the plea bargain agreement, Fouche agreed to assist the state in prosecuting her accomplices employed at Nam-Ford and the Pretoria deeds office.
Joyce Nam-Ford declined to comment on issues raised in Fouche’s plea bargain and the firm’s summons other than stating: “I’m excited that justice will take its course.”