Malawian Kasenjera Bashir brought misery to an Eastern Cape teacher when he scammed him out of his R656,000 pension savings after promising “greater returns”.
But on Wednesday, Bashir’s career as a con man came to an end when he was convicted of fraud in the Port Elizabeth specialised commercial crimes court.
The 40-year-old was also convicted of contravening the consumer protection, immigration and prevention of organised crime acts.
“Bashir lured unsuspecting victims through an advertisement in a local newspaper, claiming that he is 'Professor Anandkat' who can assist those with financial distress,” said Hawks spokesperson Lt-Col Philani Nkwalase.
The teacher fell for the scheme in October 2017 and met Bashir several times. The fraudster performed rituals and made demands for more money in exchange for greater returns.
“Consequently, the victim resigned to gain access to his pension money and handed over R656,000 in cash to Bashir in anticipation of great returns,” said Nkwalase. “Realising later that he had been conned, he reported the matter to the local police in Motherwell, who later referred the matter to the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigating team for a further probe.”
Bashir was arrested in April 2018 and offered the arresting officer R100,000 to set him free. His case has been remanded to August 21 for sentencing.
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