“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
“Pot” Stemmet faces costs in excess of theft of Lottery-funded equipment
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed through the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Photograph from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution right after gear paid for with resources within the Lottery was faraway from a Cape Town building he rented.
Stemmet is to look in court in January.
In accordance with a prosecutor the felony rates could incorporate fraud, removal of equipment that were hooked up with the Sheriff and interfering by using a City of Cape City electrical energy meter.
The costs stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil courtroom make any difference, is searching for to Get well around R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, lawful costs and damage to a rented setting up in Crete Street, in the industrial spot of Wetton in Cape City.
The developing was Beforehand the headquarters of the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel culture was supposedly running.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud soon after products paid for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape City making.
Stemmet was arrested from the Specialised Business Crime Device on 16 Oct 2024 and advised to look in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended courtroom over the day nevertheless the issue was not placed on the court docket roll as the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court docket in January.
The felony expenses stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who's searching for to recover around R2.5-million in unpaid hire, curiosity, lawful charges and harm to a rented constructing in Crete Road, in the commercial area of Wetton in Cape Town.
The setting up was previously the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the town’s hundreds of years-outdated minstrel society was supposedly operating.
The premises also housed numerous corporations owned by Stemmet, whom law enforcement have called a prescription drugs high flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises had been a hat manufacturing company and a nightclub. Stemmet continues to be arrested several situations for gun and drug-linked offences and served time for armed robbery in the eighties.
In accordance with an SMS despatched to Meuwese from the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in court on 30 January 2025.
Whilst Stemmet is but to generally be presented by using a demand sheet, possible expenses, involve fraud, removing of kit that were hooked up by the Sheriff, and interfering having a City of Cape City electricity meter, In accordance with an email despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the issue.
A grant of almost R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of a lot more than R64-million in Lottery cash allocated for the CTMCA among 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - over R54.three-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 financial several years, Based on Countrywide Lotteries Fee (NLC) annual reviews.
Stemmet was appointed a director in the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah ongoing luckyvip77 as two of many directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the developing was leased to Stalph 164, a detailed corporation of which Stemmet was one of the directors. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Assets Commission (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting yearly studies.
A fresh entity with the exact same name was subsequently registered as a private organization, but with Stemmet not a director, As outlined by CIPC documents. As an alternative, a member of the family, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk have been appointed as directors.
Around the night of twelve April 2021 and into the next morning, the Crete Highway premises ended up cleared plus the machinery was eradicated, In keeping with an affidavit by Meuwese. The devices was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial location, which housed quite a few of Stemmet’s corporations as well as a new “minstrel museum”, In accordance with a leaked investigative report commissioned because of the NLC. The investigator also photographed the products at The brand new premises.
Nevertheless, the supposed new museum internet site, just like the previous a single in Wetton, was perfectly away from any of Cape City’s vacationer routes and visitors could not access it. There was no signage about the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s businesses vacated the premises before this yr right after he fell unwell.
The funding to ascertain a museum wasn't the sole lottery grant which the CTMCA been given. In 2021, the Affiliation was allocated R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid relief grants. The NLC in the beginning refused to reveal who had received Covid funding but at last relented under media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-financial gain entities linked to Stemmet and his relatives and his associates include R1.4-million to the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an extra R500,000 in 2021/22, In line with NLC yearly studies. Stemmet is usually a previous director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, which happens to be registered within the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road offices, 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 remarkable reviews relevant to before funding received with the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which subsequently paid out R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the acquisition of the R27-million mansion for former NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted being a conduit for an additional R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, an organization during which the spouse of former NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition on the mansion. Zibsimanzi acquired R4.eight-million to stage a rural soccer Match in Limpopo following Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be compensated to his spouse’s organization.
GroundUp despatched questions to Stemmet through SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.