“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution right after machines compensated for with cash in the Lottery was removed from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In keeping with a prosecutor the prison rates could consist of fraud, removing of equipment that had been hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering that has a City of Cape City electric power meter.
The charges stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, within a civil court docket subject, is trying to get to recover around R2.five-million in unpaid rent, curiosity, lawful fees and harm to a rented building in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was Beforehand the headquarters from the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-old minstrel society was supposedly functioning.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud soon after tools paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape Town constructing.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Professional Crime Device on 16 October 2024 and instructed to appear during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket within the day though the matter was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in courtroom in January.
The criminal costs stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's looking for to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, authorized charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Road, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was previously the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a prescription drugs higher flier. Among the the companies Stemmet ran from your premises ended up a hat producing enterprise and a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested a number of times for gun and drug-related offences and served time for armed theft inside the 1980s.
Based on an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is but for being presented with a charge sheet, attainable rates, include things like fraud, elimination of kit that were attached by the Sheriff, and interfering which has a City of Cape City electrical energy meter, Based on an e mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make any difference.
A grant of just about R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was part of greater than R64-million in Lottery money allocated to your CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - in excess of R54.3-million - paid out while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money years, In accordance with National Lotteries Fee (NLC) yearly reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย as two of various directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly reviews.
A brand new entity While using the identical title was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet no more a director, according to CIPC records. Rather, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
To the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Road premises had been cleared and also the equipment was taken out, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The products was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent inside the Athlone industrial area, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations plus a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Having said that, the supposed new museum web site, such as aged 1 in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and guests could not access it. There was no signage about the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s enterprises vacated the premises previously this yr following he fell unwell.
The funding to establish a museum wasn't the only lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who experienced gained Covid funding but ultimately relented less than media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-gain entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In keeping with NLC once-a-year experiences. Stemmet is a previous director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at this time a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, that is registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and structure programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on remarkable reviews associated with previously funding been given through the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given from the CTMCA.
Also beneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment by the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of the to legal professionals performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company by which the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually encouraged that the grant be paid out to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet via SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.