Durban - Shauwn and S’bu Mpisane handed over more than R5.6 million in cash on Thursday in return for most of the cars seized by the Asset Forfeiture Unit in January.
The cars were back in the showroom-styled garage at the Mpisanes’ La Lucia home on Thursday night, after the couple sent their drivers to the Redhill premises where the luxury vehicles were being stored.
The cars were seized through a preservation order, granted by the Pietermaritzburg High Court, in terms of which assets valued at R70 million could be restrained pending the outcome of fraud and corruption charges against Shauwn Mpisane.
The couple have challenged the legality of the preservation order and are awaiting judgment.
Late on Thursday, they contacted the court-appointed curator Trevor White, saying they wanted their cars back.
“I told them they could have them back if they gave me the value of the cars, about R15 million in cash,” White said. “They transferred R5.63m and I authorised them to take six vehicles.”
These were two Porsches, a Maserati, a Ferrari, a BMW and a Dodge Ram.
White said the Mpisanes had left behind two Rolls Royces – worth about R10m – but had indicated they would deposit the cash and be back for them soon.
White said the deal made sense. “It was a straight exchange. I have cash in the bank and no assets at risk.”
Knorx Molelle, the head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit in KZN, said while White had the final say, he had sanctioned the deal.
“This way there are no storage fees, no insurance costs and no issue around depreciation. We wanted to preserve the assets pending a possible forfeiture. Cash is better than cars and this is a more economic arrangement,” he said.
Attempts to contact the Mpisanes on Thursday night were unsuccessful.
In a recent report to the Pietermaritzburg High Court, White said that apart from the vehicles he also had properties and household contents under restraint.
Shauwn had further agreed to hand over R2.6m in cash every month to make up the full amount, the money coming from contracts her close corporation, Zikhulise Cleaning, Maintenance and Transport, had with the eThekwini and KwaDukuza municipalities and which raked in R154m in the first five months of this year.
The charges against Mpisane relate to allegations that, via Zikhulise Cleaning, Maintenance and Transport, she submitted false documents to the Construction Industry Development Board to boost gradings and get contracts from the Department of Public Works.
She will appear in court again on this matter later this month.
She is standing trial on tax fraud charges. The trial is on hold while she makes representations to the director of public prosecutions.
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