“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces expenses in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed with the Countrywide Lotteries Commission to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photo from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution right after devices paid out for with money from your Lottery was removed from a Cape Town creating he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the criminal costs could consist of fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering having a Town of Cape Town electricity meter.
The costs stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside of a civil court issue, is trying to get to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, desire, lawful prices and harm to a rented making in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Beforehand the headquarters with the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud just after tools compensated for with Lottery resources was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Industrial Crime Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and explained to to look within the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court within the day nevertheless the issue was not placed on the court docket roll since the investigating officer did not deliver the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The criminal charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Recuperate over R2.five-million in unpaid rent, fascination, legal expenditures and damage to a rented making in Crete Road, in the commercial space of Wetton in Cape Town.
The making was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s centuries-previous minstrel lifestyle was supposedly running.
The premises also housed quite a few companies owned by Stemmet, whom police have described as a medicines large flier. Amid the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat manufacturing company and a nightclub. Stemmet has been arrested quite a few periods for gun and drug-relevant offences and served time for armed theft from the 1980s.
According to an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is still to become offered which has a demand sheet, achievable fees, include fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City energy meter, according to an electronic mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the make a difference.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of greater than R64-million in Lottery resources allotted on the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - in excess of R54.three-million - paid out in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money decades, In line with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) annual stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His spouse Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย รัฐบาล as two of various administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
Based on Meuwese, the building was leased to Stalph 164, an in depth Company of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual House Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual reviews.
A different entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In accordance with CIPC information. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Within the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next early morning, the Crete Street premises had been cleared along with the machinery was taken out, As outlined by an affidavit by Meuwese. The tools was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent in the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s businesses plus a new “minstrel museum”, Based on a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the devices at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum website, such as the previous a single in Wetton, was effectively from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not access it. There was no signage on the building indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s companies vacated the premises previously this year just after he fell ill.
The funding to determine a museum was not the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced been given Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary force.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-gain entities associated with Stemmet and his family members and his associates incorporate R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet can be a former director of your committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is presently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an additional R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and layout programme”. However, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC elevated questions on outstanding reviews relevant to before funding been given by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is really a R1-million payment from the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted as being a conduit for an extra R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a business during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase of your mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to phase a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo just after Letwaba personally advisable which the grant be paid to his wife’s firm.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the time of publication.