Cape Town - A Cape Town woman released on warning after her arrest for an alleged spending spree with cloned bank cards is back in custody, a court heard on Thursday.
When Anushka Rossi appeared in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg, prosecutor Gertrude Magopeni said she was back in custody following her recent re-arrest on similar charges.
For the first spree, Rossi, 30, faces 260 counts, including fraud and violations of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act and the Identification Act.
Legal Aid attorney Hayley Lawrence told the court Rossi was facing new fraud charges, and would launch a bail application in the Bellville District Court on June 27.
Thursday's appearance was her 14th, following her arrest in August last year.
The first spree lasted three months, from April to June, 2012, and involved R229 865.
It started in Johannesburg at Montecasino in Fourways, The Baron in Sandton, and The Pilgrims Trading Store at OR Tambo Airport, before she moved to Cape Town.
In Cape Town, her alleged victims include the Cape Town Fish Market restaurant, the Mugg & Bean restaurant at Cape Town International Airport, various Pick n Pay outlets, and Mitchell's Brewery at the V&A Waterfront.
Lawrence said Rossi would plead not guilty to the 260 counts relating to the first series of alleged offences.
She said Rossi's trial on the first alleged spree was to have started on Thursday, but she had been unable to prepare due to Rossi's re-arrest.
Lawrence was allowed a postponement to July 8 for consultation purposes.
Sonnenberg told Rossi: “Your status of being out on warning has now ended, and you remain in custody.”
Sapa