Holiday booking agent granted bail

Tammy Cook, the North Coast woman who is accused of fleecing holiday-makers out of thousands of rand, has been released on bail.

Tammy Cook, the North Coast woman who is accused of fleecing holiday-makers out of thousands of rand, has been released on bail.

Published Jan 17, 2013

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KwaZulu-Natal - The North Coast woman who is accused of fleecing holiday-makers out of thousands of rand has been released on bail.

Tammy Cook was granted bail in the Stanger Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday after she was arrested in Morningside last week, having allegedly fled Salt Rock when charges of fraud and theft were laid against her.

She was arrested after a friend of hers saw a report about the case against her in The Mercury’s sister newspaper, The Independent on Saturday.

According to the police, Cook had acted as a letting agent for two holiday homes on the North Coast last month, but she had double-booked the properties.

The complainants, most of whom were from Gauteng, arrived at the cottages to find they were already occupied.

Some of them had paid between R18 000 and R40 000 as deposits.

Police Captain Thulani Zwane said at least three cases had been opened at the Umhlali police station.

“The amount involved at this stage is approximately R82 000,” he said.

National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman Natasha Ramkisson said the State had not opposed bail for Cook because she had a fixed address and was not deemed to be a flight risk.

Cook was granted bail of R5 000 and was warned to appear in court next month.

The disgruntled holidaymakers, who claim they were scammed, vented their anger on the website hellopeter.com.

One message said cases had been opened against Cook.

“We booked accommodation that we found on the North Coast Holidays website. The accommodation was paid in full. When we arrived on December 27 there was a family already booked into the house… Not fun to drive all the way from Joburg to find out that you have been ripped off!” - The Mercury

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