“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
“Pot” Stemmet faces charges more than theft of Lottery-funded devices
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, left, and an investigator appointed from the National Lotteries Fee to investigate the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned because of the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution after devices compensated for with funds from your Lottery was removed from a Cape City developing he rented.
Stemmet is to appear in court docket in January.
Based on a prosecutor the prison rates could involve fraud, elimination of equipment that were attached by the Sheriff and interfering with a Metropolis of Cape City electrical power meter.
The charges stem from the complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a very civil court matter, is trying to get to Recuperate over R2.5-million in unpaid lease, interest, legal prices and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the economic spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Beforehand the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) which is exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel society was supposedly operating.
Convicted felony Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud after gear paid for with Lottery cash was faraway from a Cape City making.
Stemmet was arrested because of the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and explained to to seem during the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom on the day although the subject wasn't put on the court docket roll as the investigating officer didn't produce the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The criminal costs stem from the grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's trying to get to Recuperate about R2.five-million in unpaid lease, fascination, legal fees and damage to a rented constructing in Crete Street, in the industrial region of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Beforehand the headquarters on the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel culture was supposedly running.
The premises also housed various corporations owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medications superior flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises had been a hat production firm along with a nightclub. Stemmet has become arrested various situations for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed theft in the 1980s.
In keeping with an SMS despatched to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is yet for being introduced having a cost sheet, attainable costs, include fraud, removing of equipment that were hooked up because of the Sheriff, and interfering by using a City of Cape Town electricity meter, In line with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor handling the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was Element of in excess of R64-million in Lottery resources allotted into the CTMCA concerning 2003 and 2017, with the majority of The cash - above R54.three-million - compensated while in the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 fiscal several years, As outlined by National Lotteries Fee (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 ผล หวย ลาว วัน นี้ as two of many directors of your organisation. Stemmet was reappointed for a director in 2021.
As outlined by Meuwese, the creating was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed Company of which Stemmet was amongst the directors. The organization was deregistered by the businesses and Mental Home Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual stories.
A new entity With all the similar identify was subsequently registered as A non-public corporation, but with Stemmet no more a director, In keeping with CIPC records. As an alternative, a loved one, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Within the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Road premises were cleared and the equipment was eliminated, according to an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial location, which housed several of Stemmet’s corporations along with a new “minstrel museum”, In keeping with a leaked investigative report commissioned from the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Having said that, the supposed new museum web site, such as aged 1 in Wetton, was effectively faraway from any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and guests could not access it. There was no signage within the creating indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s organizations vacated the premises before this 12 months right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant the CTMCA received. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC to begin with refused to expose who experienced acquired Covid funding but lastly relented beneath media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-earnings entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates include R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Functions Committee in 2019/20, and a further R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is often a former director in the committee and his wife, Zainonesa, is currently a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, and that is registered with the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for the “craft, woodwork and design and style programme”. Nevertheless, it seems that the 2021/22 payment was withheld once the NLC raised questions about superb reviews relevant to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding been given 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 the to lawyers acting 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 corporation wherein the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, to the purchase from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to phase a rural soccer Match in Limpopo after Letwaba personally recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched queries to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.