[Wanted] Mpumalanga Hawks sought Annika Van Staden on fraud charges and failure to appear in court

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Photo: supplied\SAPS

Mpumalanga Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team have launched a manhunt for Annica Van Staden on alleged fraud cases.

Mpumalanga Hawks Spokesperson Captain Dineo Sekgotodi said that the suspect had defrauded homebuyers between October 2014 and July 2015 through her business called Housing First Property in Mpumalanga where she would sell RDP houses, repossessed houses as well as private property in Middleburg, Witbank, Secunda and Kriel.

But it was later discovered that the said properties were not for sale.

“It is further alleged that the buyer had to pay the deposit on a house or the selling the price into her business account. She defrauded the buyers by not transferring the properties to their names and had to pay for home loans of the properties they never acquired.”

“Van Staden allegedly transferred money to other agents she employed, although none of them including herself were registered with the Estate Agency Affairs Board. Cases of fraud were registered in Middleburg, the suspect no longer resides in Middleburg and her whereabouts are unknown” said Captain Sekgotodi.

Sekgotodi added that Van Staden was eventually arrested in Protea Glen, Soweto in August 2019 for fraud and the case was postponed to November 11th, 2020, after being released on bail.

A warrant of arrest was issued after she failed to pitch in court. She is also facing another fraud case in Orange Farm, Nelspruit.