Speed king: 'Millions missing'
Cobus Claassen , Beeld
Johannesburg - When South Africa's "speed king" died after an accident in which his jet-dragster overturned at a speed of about 500km/h, so did the incomes of about 130 investors.
An investment company owned by Johan Jacobs apparently owes millions of rands to about 130 creditors, many of them pensioners.
It was learned that Jacobs, 40, who died in the attempt on the world land-speed record at Verneukpan in the Northern Cape, had made investments as a broker on behalf of clients, especially pensioners.
It seems that after his death it was found that millions of rands had disappeared.
Centurion attorney Bertus Verster, acting on behalf of the creditors, said Jacobs's wife, Rhoda, had voluntarily liquidated their company, Brick Tower Properties, last week.
She was a director of this company.
130 investors involved
Verster said: "Some of my clients invested as much as R1.3m and I know of others who invested more than R2m.
"We are speaking of millions of rand. It's uncertain what happened to the money."
He said there were about 130 people whose money had allegedly disappeared.
Jacobs's clients had apparently received monthly interest on their investments up to the time of his death.
"My clients alone are estimated to have invested more than R10m. There are many elderly people, some of whom invested nearly all they had, with Jacobs and his company," said Verster.
Estelle Pienaar, 69, of Pretoria said she and her husband had invested a few hundred thousand rand with Jacobs.
"We got the promised interest of 8.75% every month until he died. We thought the first week (after Jacobs's accident) there was a delay somewhere, but soon afterwards we became suspicious." p>Pienaar said she and other clients were referred by Jacobs's office to an attorney who apparently did not respond to their calls.
Susan Swart, 66, of Pretoria said she had entered into an investment agreement with Jacobs on March 14 2003.
"Since then, I've received my interest of R2 400 monthly without any problems. After July (after Jacobs's death), this was no longer the case."
My bread and butter's gone'
A 70-year-old, who did not want to be named, said Jacobs tried to recruit clients among the residents of the Huis Herfsblaar retirement home in Queenswood, Pretoria.
"The money that's gone missing was my bread and butter."
Rhoda Jacobs could not be reached for comment in spite of repeated calls.
Her lawyer, Johan Viljoen, referred Beeld to a liquidator who was investigating the matter.
He did not reply to a message.
News source: www.news24.co.za
Posted by: www.SouthAfrica-CarHire.com
