Cape Town - A pregnant woman, implicated with her fiancé in an online dating scam that defrauded unsuspecting people of R1.2 million, has been released on R3000 bail.
Pamella Mendrew, 28, who had been in custody for more than a month, was in the dock alongside her co- accused and fiancé, Chinonso Pascal Eze, 33, in the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
The two are facing charges of fraud and money laundering, following a Hawks serious commercial crime probe.
On Tuesday the prosecutor, advocate Lucinda Mcani SC, said the State would be opposing Eze’s bail.
“The accused is a flight risk, he is an immigrant with no fixed address. This is a schedule five case,” she said.
Defence lawyer Riedwaan Isaacs said the Eze was not going to apply for bail at this stage. He said he still needed to follow up with Home Affairs on Eze’s immigration status.
With regards to Mendrew, the State said it would not oppose bail but had prepared bail conditions.
In her affidavit that was read out in court, Mendrew said she was from Butterworth in the Eastern Cape. She said she was five months pregnant with Eze’s child.
She said she was financially dependent on Eze, and would be moving to live with her aunt in Khayelitsha should bail be granted. Mendrew said she would also be financially dependent on her parents, now that Eze was behind bars.
Isaacs told the court Mendrew had no previous convictions, no violent history and didn’t know the identity of any State witnesses.
“I have indicated to my attorney that I will plead not guilty,” the affidavit read. Mendrew said she feared for her physical wellbeing in Pollsmoor Prison as well as the wellbeing of her unborn child.
The State proposed bail be set at R5000; however, Isaacs told the court Mendrew’s mother could only afford R3000.
Eze will remain in custody and will apply for bail on November 6.
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