“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded products
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded products
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed through the Nationwide Lotteries Fee to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution after equipment paid out for with money in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court docket in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison prices could include fraud, removing of equipment that were attached because of the Sheriff and interfering using a Town of Cape City electrical power meter.
The charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom make any difference, is searching for to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, legal expenses and damage to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The creating was previously the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA) and is particularly wherever a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-previous minstrel society was supposedly running.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is experiencing prosecution for theft and fraud following machines paid for with Lottery money was faraway from a Cape City developing.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Device on 16 October 2024 and informed to seem while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom to the working day though the make any difference wasn't placed on the court roll because the investigating officer didn't supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony fees stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's looking for to Get better about R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, authorized expenses and harm to a rented developing in Crete Street, in the economic location of Wetton in Cape City.
The building was Earlier the headquarters of your Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s generations-aged minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed numerous corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs high flier. Among the companies Stemmet ran within the premises were being a hat producing corporation and also a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested many instances for gun and drug-associated offences and served time for armed theft while in the 1980s.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese with the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Even though Stemmet is nevertheless to be offered that has a demand sheet, feasible fees, involve fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City electricity meter, Based on an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to determine the minstrel museum was Component of in excess of R64-million in Lottery money allotted on the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - around R54.3-million - paid out within the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money many years, In keeping with National Lotteries Commission (NLC) yearly stories.
Stemmet was appointed a director from the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ หวย ลาว as two of quite a few directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed like a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporation was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Home Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A different entity While using the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, In line with CIPC information. As an alternative, a family member, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk were appointed as administrators.
Within the night of 12 April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Highway premises had been cleared and the machinery was eradicated, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent while in the Athlone industrial area, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s corporations along with a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the machines at The brand new premises.
However, the meant new museum web page, like the aged a person in Wetton, was perfectly faraway from any of Cape Town’s vacationer routes and people could not obtain it. There was no signage to the constructing indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this yr after he fell sick.
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 had gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates include R1.4-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Events Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC annual reports. Stemmet is usually a former director from the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered on the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for just a “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions on superb reports connected with previously funding gained via the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained via the CTMCA.
Also less than investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to legal professionals acting in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted to be a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company wherein the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his spouse’s business.
GroundUp sent issues to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the time of publication.