KIMBERLEY – A director who pocketed R700 000 in National Lottery funds whilst running a non-existent charity has been convicted of fraud and money laundering.

Nathan Baldwin Ramailane (62) was convicted by the Kimberley Serious Commercial Crimes Court, where he was charged alongside his non-governmental organisation, Heseqwa Caring Network. This comes after Ramailane submitted a request for funding from the National Lottery Commission. The application was approved to the tune of R700 000, which was paid to the organisation, said Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe, media spokesperson of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks).

As part of its monitoring processes, the National Lottery Commission requested a progress report, which was followed by a visit to the organisation’s premises. The organisation was found not to be in operation.

The director then sent a fraudulent report to officials of the National Lottery Commission to mislead them into believing that the organisation was operating.

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Further investigation revealed that the funds were used to purchase a motor vehicle, which was used for the director’s personal purposes.

The National Lottery Commission instituted an internal investigation into the matter and laid a complaint with the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crimes Investigation unit in Kimberley. The total loss suffered was R700 000.

Ramailane will be sentenced on 8 December by the Kimberley Serious Commercial Crimes Court.

“We are hoping for a good sentence that will send the message that crimes committed using non-governmental organisations or non-profit organisations will not be tolerated,” said the Provincial Head of the Hawks in the Northern Cape, Major General Stephen Mabuela.

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