“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 by the National Lotteries Commission to research the Lottery-funded minstrel museum: Picture from an investigative report commissioned via the NLC
Richard “Pot” Stemmet is dealing with prosecution just after equipment paid for with resources in the Lottery was faraway from a Cape City constructing he rented.
Stemmet is to look in courtroom in January.
In line with a prosecutor the criminal rates could involve fraud, removal of kit that had been hooked up through the Sheriff and interfering which has a City of Cape Town electricity meter.
The charges stem from a grievance laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, who, in a civil court issue, is seeking to recover more than R2.5-million in unpaid rent, interest, lawful costs and harm to a rented building in Crete Highway, in the economic place of Wetton in Cape City.
The constructing was Formerly the headquarters from the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA) and is also exactly where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s hundreds of years-old minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
Convicted criminal Richard “Pot” Stemmet is struggling with prosecution for theft and fraud immediately after tools compensated for with Lottery funds was removed from a Cape Town making.
Stemmet was arrested through the Specialised Professional Criminal offense Unit on 16 October 2024 and explained to to seem while in the Wynberg Justice of the peace’s Courtroom on 21 November.
GroundUp attended court docket around the day nevertheless the matter was not placed on the courtroom roll since the investigating officer did not supply the docket to prosecutors. Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom in January.
The felony charges stem from a criticism laid by Stemmet’s landlord, Sean Meuwese, that's trying to find to Get better above R2.5-million in unpaid lease, curiosity, lawful expenses and damage to a rented developing in Crete Highway, in the economic space of Wetton in Cape City.
The creating was Formerly the headquarters with the Cape City Minstrel Carnival Affiliation (CTMCA). This is where a non-existent, Lottery-funded museum celebrating town’s centuries-outdated minstrel lifestyle was supposedly working.
The premises also housed quite a few organizations owned by Stemmet, whom police have called a medicine superior flier. Amongst the businesses Stemmet ran with the premises were being a hat producing company and also a nightclub. Stemmet is arrested quite a few occasions for gun and drug-connected offences and served time for armed robbery in the nineteen eighties.
According to an SMS despatched to Meuwese because of the investigating officer, Stemmet has now been summonsed to look in courtroom on thirty January 2025.
While Stemmet is still to get presented that has a charge sheet, feasible costs, consist of fraud, removing of apparatus that were attached via the Sheriff, and interfering using a Metropolis of Cape Town electric power meter, In accordance with an electronic mail sent to Meuwese by a senior prosecutor dealing with the subject.
A grant of just about R13-million to establish the minstrel museum was Section of over R64-million in Lottery money allocated to your CTMCA involving 2003 and 2017, with the majority of the money - more than R54.three-million - compensated from the 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 money years, In keeping with Countrywide Lotteries Commission (NLC) once-a-year 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 หุ้น as two of various directors from the organisation. Stemmet was reappointed as a director in 2021.
According to Meuwese, the setting up was leased to Stalph 164, a close Company of which Stemmet was among the administrators. The company was deregistered by the Companies and Intellectual Residence Fee (CIPC) in March 2023 for non-compliance in submitting annual reviews.
A whole new entity While using the same identify was subsequently registered as A personal business, but with Stemmet no longer a director, Based on CIPC records. Rather, a relative, Ra’ees Stemmet, and Alfonzo van Niekerk ended up appointed as directors.
Over the evening of twelve April 2021 and into the subsequent morning, the Crete Street premises were cleared as well as machinery was eradicated, In line with an affidavit by Meuwese. The equipment was moved to new premises rented by Stemmet in Mymoena Crescent from the Athlone industrial area, which housed many of Stemmet’s enterprises along with a new “minstrel museum”, In line with a leaked investigative report commissioned via the NLC. The investigator also photographed the equipment at The brand new premises.
However, the meant new museum site, like the old one in Wetton, was well clear of any of Cape Town’s tourist routes and readers couldn't accessibility it. There was no signage around the setting up indicating that it housed a museum.
Stemmet’s corporations vacated the premises earlier this 12 months following he fell sick.
The funding to determine a museum was not the one lottery grant which the CTMCA obtained. In 2021, the association was allotted R100,000 and R1.five-million in Covid aid grants. The NLC at first refused to reveal who had gained Covid funding but finally relented below media and parliamentary strain.
Other lottery grants allotted to non-financial gain entities associated with Stemmet and his spouse and children and his associates include R1.four-million with the Cape Cultural Carnival and Situations Committee in 2019/twenty, and an additional R500,000 in 2021/22, In accordance with NLC annual experiences. Stemmet is usually a former director of the committee and his spouse, Zainonesa, is at present a director.
And, the Peninsula and District Carnival Affiliation, that's registered in the CTMCA’s previous Crete Road workplaces, was allotted R190,000 in 2019/twenty, and a further R635,000 in 2021/22 for your “craft, woodwork and style programme”. Having said that, it appears that the 2021/22 payment was withheld after the NLC elevated questions about remarkable reports linked to previously funding acquired because of the CTMCA.
GroundUp has verified the SIU is investigating the lottery funding gained because of the CTMCA.
Also underneath investigation is usually a R1-million payment via the CTMCA to MDU Consulting Engineers, which consequently paid R500,000 of the to attorneys acting in the acquisition of a R27-million mansion for previous NLC Board chairperson Alfred Nevhutanda.
MDU also acted for a conduit for a further R3-m payment by Zibsimanzi, a company where the wife of previous NLC COO Phillemon Letwaba was a director, in the direction of the acquisition from the mansion. Zibsimanzi been given R4.8-million to stage a rural soccer Event in Limpopo right after Letwaba Individually recommended the grant be paid out to his spouse’s company.
GroundUp sent inquiries to Stemmet by using SMS but he experienced not replied by the point of publication.