Cape Town - A suspected serial con artist who allegedly posed as a traffic cop to cheat people out of cash made a brief court appearance on Monday.
But a nasty surprise was waiting for Glen Reginald Petersen, 60, at the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court where he was charged with fraud.
Police have now added more charges to the docket of the man they’ve been hunting for five years.
Petersen allegedly conned people across the Flats out of thousands of rands, claiming to be a traffic official who can squash fines.
He used various aliases including Eddie Roberts and Mr Rinquest.
Last year, a Grassy Park victim laind a charge of fraud against him, and he was arrested at his home in Mitchells Plain on Friday by the City of Cape Town’s Special Investigations Unit.
As he was about to leave the dock on Monday, a frail looking Petersen was told police were waiting to arrest him on more charges, after somebody in Mitchells Plain had also laid a charge of fraud against him.
State Prosecutor Bernelee Clayton said that Petersen pretended to be a church man when he approached the victim in Grassy Park.
“The accused joined a church group, Simon Salem, and used the name Eddie Roberts,” said Clayton.
“He claimed if the complainant had outstanding fines or warrants, he could have any of them revoked.
“He then called the complainant and said there were two warrants and a fine and that he would have it reduced and the others cleared for the amount of R900.
“The victim paid the R900.”
MORE CASES
Clayton then added: “The accused will be arrested after this matter for another case - he has a modus operandi.”
Petersen is due back in court next week to apply for a legal aid lawyer.
Mayoral committee member for security JP smith said two more victims had since come forward.
A Strandfontein victim who asked not to be identified contacted the Daily Voice after seeing Petersen’s photograph in the paper.
She said: “He introduced himself as a Mr Rinquest and approached us outside the bank, looking for a financial advisor.
“He then said he could help us with fines and I gave him R1 000.”
“I know what I did was wrong,” she admitted.
Daily Voice