“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded tools
“Pot” Stemmet faces prices over theft of Lottery-funded tools
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Richard “Pot” Stemmet, still left, and an investigator appointed because of the National Lotteries Commission to analyze the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Image from an investigative report commissioned with the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution right after machines compensated for with funds from your Lottery was removed from a Cape City making he rented.
Stemmet is to seem in court in January.
In line with a prosecutor the felony expenses could incorporate fraud, removal of kit that had been attached from the Sheriff and interfering with a Town of Cape City energy meter.
The charges stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, inside a civil court matter, is seeking to Get well over R2.5-million in unpaid lease, fascination, lawful charges and harm to a rented developing in Crete Road, in the commercial spot of Wetton in Cape Town.
The developing was previously the headquarters in the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also in which a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating the city’s generations-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted legal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is going through prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after machines paid out for with Lottery funds was faraway from a Cape Town setting up.
Stemmet was arrested with the Specialised Commercial Crime Device on sixteen Oct 2024 and advised to look while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Court on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court over the day even so the make any difference wasn't put on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not provide the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to appear in court in January.
The criminal expenses stem from a complaint laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who is in search of to Recuperate in excess of R2.5-million in unpaid hire, fascination, authorized expenses and harm to a rented making in Crete Road, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape Town.
The building was Earlier the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Association (CTMCA). This is when a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-aged minstrel tradition was supposedly running.
The premises also housed a number of enterprises owned by Stemmet, whom police have referred to as a medicines large flier. Among the businesses Stemmet ran in the premises were being a hat manufacturing firm and a nightclub. Stemmet has actually been arrested several instances for gun and drug-similar offences and served time for armed robbery inside the eighties.
As outlined by an SMS sent to Meuwese via the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
Although Stemmet is still to get offered with a cost sheet, attainable charges, involve fraud, removal of kit that had been connected by the Sheriff, and interfering having a Town of Cape Town energy meter, In keeping with an e-mail despatched to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor managing the make a difference.
A grant of virtually R13-million to ascertain the minstrel museum was part of more than R64-million in Lottery money allotted to the CTMCA amongst 2003 and 2017, with the bulk of The cash - around R54.three-million - paid out from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 economical many years, In line with Nationwide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year experiences.
Stemmet was appointed a director on the CTMCA in September 1996 but resigned in December 2016. His wife Zainonesa and daughter Raziah continued ตรวจ ล้อ ต เต อ รี่ as two of a number of administrators of the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as being a director in 2021.
In accordance with Meuwese, the constructing was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The corporate was deregistered by the Companies and Mental Home Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in publishing annual experiences.
A different entity With all the exact identify was subsequently registered as a private enterprise, but with Stemmet no longer a director, In line with CIPC documents. Alternatively, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
To the night of 12 April 2021 and into the following early morning, the Crete Street premises have been cleared plus the machinery was taken out, In accordance with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent during the Athlone industrial place, which housed numerous of Stemmet’s businesses and also a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the gear at the new premises.
Having said that, the meant new museum web site, similar to the aged one 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 earlier this calendar year after he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the only lottery grant the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the Affiliation was allotted R100,000 and R1.5-million in Covid reduction grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who experienced obtained Covid funding but at last relented below media and parliamentary tension.
Other lottery grants allocated to non-income entities associated with Stemmet and his loved ones and his associates include R1.4-million for your Cape Cultural Carnival and Gatherings Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, according to NLC once-a-year stories. Stemmet is usually a former director in the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is now a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Association, which can be registered at the CTMCA’s former Crete Highway workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/20, and an extra R635,000 in 2021/22 for any “craft, woodwork and design programme”. On the other hand, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld following the NLC lifted questions on excellent stories associated with previously funding gained by the CTMCA.
GroundUp has confirmed which the SIU is investigating the lottery funding received by the CTMCA.
Also under investigation is actually a R1-million payment through the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which in turn compensated R500,000 of this to lawyers performing in the purchase of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted like a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a corporation where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition in the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually suggested the grant be compensated to his spouse’s firm.
GroundUp despatched concerns to Stemmet by means of SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.