Anzel Trading faces fraud allegations: boss blames ex-partner

Anzel Trading faces fraud allegations: boss blames ex-partner
A case of fraud has been opened against Ansie Fourie of Investments at Home in Pretoria.

February 2011 | Micel Schnehage

A case of fraud has been opened against Ansie Fourie of Investments at Home in Pretoria.

Her company is officially known as Anzel Trading 1002 CC, but trades as Investments at Home.

Fourie is among a growing number of estate agents suspected of dipping into their companies’ trust funds.

The case was opened at the beginning of 2011 by an investor who had paid in excess of R900 000 into Anzel’s trust account. This money is now unaccounted for.

The matter has also been reported to the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB).

Speaking to Moneyweb, Fourie conceded the money had been used, but she blamed a former business partner whom she accused of using the funds for the business and for personal use, and then fleeing the country.

However, Fourie also said she had bought her partner out before he relocated to Portugal.

Agents formerly employed by Fourie have stated categorically that the money went missing only after the former business partner left South Africa.

Fourie maintains she only suspected something was amiss after he had left and she had appointed an auditor to investigate.

Fourie maintains she is in constant contact with the investors who lost money and has offered to remedy the situation. They deny this, claiming she had failed to honour agreements to reimburse them.

One investor, Theo Basson, has also laid a complaint with the EAAB after losing R20 000 paid into Anzel’s account which was supposed to have been used to pay a transferring attorney.

MLS, a multi-listing service with which estate agents can register, has suspended Anzel Trading from all its zones, pending the outcome of an inquiry.

Messages and e-mails left with the EAAB to establish whether or not the complaints were being dealt with had gone unanswered. One investor lodged a complaint with the regulatory body in October 2010, but is still waiting for a response.

– micel@moneyweb.co.za