WELKOM – For the second time a Welkom lawyer, who is serving three life sentences for sexual offences against minors, failed to appear in the Welkom Magistrate’s Court on fraud charges.

Gysbert Jan Maritz (58) has been charged with fraud involving R15 million, would have appeared in the Welkom Commercial Crimes Court on Friday, 8 May, for a trial date to be set.

Again, due to botched paperwork by the Department of Correctional Services, Maritz was not transported to Welkom from Grootvlei Prison in Bloemfontein. This first happened in in 2025 when he was to have appeared for a scheduled bail hearing.

ALSO READ: Convicted Welkom lawyer fails to appear for R15 Million fraud bail hearing

Maritz was arrested on Thursday, 9 October 2025, on charges relating to fraud, theft, money laundering, and contraventions of the Legal Practice Act involving approximately R15 million.

The charges stem from a deceased’s estate concerning a tender awarded to a security company by Matjhabeng Municipality.

ALSO READ: Welkom lawyer’s bail application postponed after complex court proceedings

The municipality had an outstanding amount exceeding R21 million after services were rendered. The security company challenged this debt in the Free State High Court, securing judgement in its favour plus seven per cent interest since 17 November 2020.

The amount of over R21 million allegedly included R15 million from a settlement agreement which was purportedly paid into a FNB account provided by Maritz. Investigations revealed that the FNB account belonged to a different company of which Maritz was the sole director.

Maritz first made headlines in 2019 when he was arrested on various sexual crimes involving minors.

In October 2025 the South African Police Service welcomed a sentence handed down by Bloemfontein High Court when Maritz received three life sentences for rape of minors, plus 61 years’ imprisonment for sexual offences against five minor children.

ALSO READ: Welkom lawyer expected to be sentenced in October

 The legal processes surrounding a Welkom lawyer never seem to be simple, and in his 3-hour-long bail application in the Welkom Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 13 October 2025, there were many twists and turns when the accused himself took to the witness stand and laboriously told the court why he is not a flight risk and should be granted bail.

The case has now been remanded to 14 May when Maritz is scheduled to appear in the Bloemfontein Commercial Crime Court. He will be represented by Butch Schoeman. Schoeman will apply for a trial date, and the case is then expected to return to the Welkom Commerial Crime Court.