A Mitchells Plain resident has appeared in court for allegedly forging his daughter’s signature.
Tasneem Barthies said her father allegedly forged her signature on documents he used to illegally extend a house that he and other relatives lived in, and fraudulently register a daycare on the property.
Barthies, who laid a case of fraud against him, said she, her father and his wife and another daughter and her husband bought the house in 2010.
Barthies said she learnt about the extensions and the daycare in 2014, and became aware of the alleged forged signature last year.
This was after she had enquired at the City’s Building and Planning Department about the extensions, and at the Department of Social Development about the daycare.
Police spokesperson Frederick van Wyk confirmed
that a suspect had been arrested and appeared in court on April 17.
He added that the suspect’s next court appearance would be next month.
When asked to comment, Barthies’ father declined and referred questions to his
lawyer who, he said, would
contact the Cape Times to respond.
But the lawyer has not done so.
Social Development MEC Albert Fritz’s spokesperson Sihle Ngobese said the department was aware of the matter and that the centre was a registered facility, operating at a house privately owned by
a family.
“As far as the department is aware, a family dispute resulted in one of the daughters (and consequently the complainant in the criminal case) being estranged, and kicked out,” Ngobese said.
“After the registration process, there were irregularities regarding property rights and suspected and alleged fraud by the complainants family members, during the land zoning aspect of the process.
‘‘These are now subject to an investigation by the police,” he added.
Ngobese said the department was assisting the investigation.
The City’s Transport Development Authority did not respond to questions before deadline.