“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices around theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, remaining, and an investigator appointed through the Nationwide Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned through the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is facing prosecution soon after machines compensated for with cash in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
Based on a prosecutor the criminal costs could contain fraud, removal of equipment that were connected because of the Sheriff and interfering which has a Metropolis of Cape Town electricity meter.
The fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil courtroom make a difference, is in search of to Recuperate over R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, legal charges and damage to a rented creating in Crete Street, in the economic area of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was previously the headquarters of your Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) which is wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-previous minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution for theft and fraud right after equipment paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape City making.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Professional Crime Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and instructed to seem inside the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day although the make a difference was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The felony prices stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's in search of to recover above R2.5-million in unpaid lease, desire, lawful fees and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the commercial location of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel tradition was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed many firms owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a drugs significant flier. Amongst the companies Stemmet ran from your premises were being a hat manufacturing firm plus a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested many times for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed theft in the eighties.
In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to seem in court on 30 January 2025.
Although Stemmet is yet for being introduced which has a charge sheet, feasible prices, contain fraud, removing of apparatus that were attached via the Sheriff, and interfering by using a City of Cape Town electricity meter, according to an e mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of almost R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of in excess of R64-million in Lottery funds allocated on the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - around R54.3-million - paid in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial years, Based on National Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual 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 รัฐบาล as two of several administrators in the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
In line with Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a close corporation of which Stemmet was one among the administrators. The business was deregistered by the businesses and Intellectual Residence Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in distributing once-a-year studies.
A whole new entity Using the similar name was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet now not a director, In accordance with CIPC information. Alternatively, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Road premises were being cleared as well as machinery was removed, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s organizations and also a new “minstrel museum”, according to a leaked investigative report commissioned with the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
Nonetheless, the supposed new museum web site, similar to the aged a single in Wetton, was very well clear of any of Cape City’s tourist routes and guests could not obtain it. There was no signage to the making 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 reduction grants. The NLC initially refused to expose who had acquired Covid funding but finally relented beneath media and parliamentary pressure.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities linked to Stemmet and his household and his associates include R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/20, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, Based on NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is usually a previous director on the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at the moment a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s former Crete Street offices, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and style and design programme”. Nonetheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions on excellent experiences linked to previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received from the CTMCA.
Also below investigation can be a R1-million payment because of the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be 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 acquisition with the mansion. Zibsimanzi obtained R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer tournament in Limpopo after Letwaba Individually suggested which the grant be paid to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by way of SMS but he had not replied by the point of publication.