Charmer left trail of empty purses and dashed hopes

When Gauteng businessman Anton Greeff’s bond application for a R20-million factory was turned down by a bank, he saw his dream of expanding his trailer business slipping away.

But the estate agent who had shown him the Roodepoort site had an idea. She put him in touch with a man claiming to be a US investment broker, who said he had overseas funders who would give Greeff the loan.

But after shelling out more than R300 000 in due diligence fees and other upfront costs, it began to dawn on Greeff that he was unlikely to ever see a cent of the promised loan.

He was right, but the realisation came too late. The 42-year-old father of four was broke. He lost his R1.5-million, five-bedroom home and both his vehicles.

‘‘I could have killed thisman . . . I’ve put my family through so much. We are barely scraping through,” he said. ‘‘His offices in Bramley looked authentic. He had staff and clocks set to times around the world.”

Greeff, who now lives in a three bedroom flat, owes R51 000 in school fees andR60 000 on his credit card. He also owes more than R400 000 on a loan he took from two friends.

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He is one of dozens of victims who have allegedly been fleeced by a smooth-talking conman who goes by the name of King Judge.

The charming Nigerian with a fake American accent, whose real name is Muffy Asam Ayuk, is now in custody and due to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Johannesburg on May 10.

Hawks spokesman Brigadier Hlangwani Mulaudzi said Ayuk was facing 15 charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.

‘‘He is being investigated by the Commercial Crime Investigation Unit in Joburg and the estimated loss is R15-million. The accused has been in the country since 2003 and the scams have been running since 2008.”

Mulaudzi said the Asset Forfeiture Unit was also investigating Ayuk, although sources said Ayuk had spent most of the money on holidays and shopping sprees.

While the website for Ayuk’s business, Investors Capital, is down, he boasts an impressive — though unconfirmed — CV on LinkedIn, with alleged qualifications from Harvard Business School, the Amsterdam Institute of Finance, the London School of Investment and the University of South Africa.

Another victim, Meagan Pillay, 30, from Northgate, is unemployed after she left her insurance broker job late last year because Ayuk promised her R2.5-million to buy a daycare centre. She borrowed more than R100 000 from her parents to pay Ayuk’s fees. When she realised she had been scammed, she was devastated.

‘‘I was so overwhelmed, especially since I had exhausted all avenues to raise the money. I’ve sold my car because I don’t have an income and I haven’t been able to find a job.”

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Former debtor’s clerk Emmanuel Mmbadi has been left with barely enough money to feed his wife and two children aged eight and two. His brother borrowed money on his behalf to pay Ayuk R350 000 in fees for a loan to buy a R150-million farm.

“I left my job because I believed this money was coming,” said Mmbadi.

‘‘This has put a strain on my brother who is paying back this money to the bank. I’m so angry and I feel so bad I have put my family in this situation.”

The estate agent, who asked not to be named, said she had met Ayuk through a client. ‘‘When some of my clients were looking for business properties but didn’t qualify for bonds, I took them to [Ayuk] because I thought he could help,” she said.

Greeff was the first to report Ayuk to the police, and other victims joined in. They said Ayuk had claimed he was on the board of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Trust. They believed the company was legitimate because King had followed all the right procedures and insisted his “clients” be SARS compliant.

Mmbadi said he had trusted Ayuk because he had seen him interviewed on TV. “But it was just a fraudulent man, taking advantage of us.”

laganparsadm@sundaytimes.co.za