Johannesburg - Multimillionaire businessman Brendon Naidoo made a brief appearance on Monday in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court after being arrested on Saturday on charges of fraud.
Naidoo was wanted in connection with multiple cases of fraud opened against him by people who claimed to have been conned out of millions in a foreign-exchange trading scheme, according to reports in the Sunday World.
SAPS spokesperson Kay Makhubele said that Naidoo did not resist arrest at his residence on Saturday after five people filed complaints against him, which led to the six charges of fraud and theft.
Naidoo appeared in court with chains on his ankles, looking well put together in his blue-and-white checkered shirt and jeans.
This was not his first appearance at the court, where family members were present for support but opted to stay outside the courtroom.
Ntombezinhle Jiyane, better known by her stage name DJ Zinhle, was not present at the court. The two have been dating for less than a year.
Himendra Naidoo, the defence lawyer for the accused, attempted to get Naidoo transferred to the Leeuwkop Prison near Bryanston, saying current holding conditions created stress for the “chronic asthmatic”.
“At this stage, I don’t want to hear it,” said Magistrate Renier Boshoff, who seemed impatient and eager to move on to the next case.
The attempted transfer was met with the disapproval of the commander in charge of the case, who it was claimed refused to provide the defence with a transferral letter.
The commander, who wished to remain anonymous, told The Star that the defence asked for a letter to transfer the accused to the Sandton prison, but Naidoo will remain at Johannesburg Central Prison, nicknamed Sun City.
“We have nothing to say right now, we are just following procedures of the law,” said Himendra Naidoo.
The bail application for Naidoo was postponed to April 18.
Naidoo came into the spotlight last September after Zinhle began posting pictures of a mysterious new partner, who she referred to as “Bond” on social media.
The popular female DJ’s last relationship with controversial rapper AKA, who she shares a daughter with, ended in a highly publicised breakup in 2015, so followers on social media became obsessed with identifying who the new man was.
@2li2ls
@benjamindin