Arrest warrant for ex-councillor
Former City of Cape Town councillor Charlotte Tabisher, who faces 15 fraud charges, failed to appear in court.
|||Arrest warrant issued for former City of Cape Town ward councillor
17:44 / 15 SEP 2015
CAPE TOWN, September 15 (ANA) – A warrant was authorised on Tuesday for the arrest of a former City of Cape Town ward councillor facing 15 counts of fraud and one of corruption.
Charlotte Tabisher, 68, failed to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg.
On the corruption charge, she is alleged to have induced Cape Minstrel member Abdullah Fakier to pay her R600 as his entry fee to the Minstrel Festival, when in fact no entry fee was required.
Prosecutor Ezmerelda Johnson alleges that Fakier in fact paid the fee, and that Tabisher kept the money for herself.
This, Johnson alleges, constitutes a gratification in terms of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act.
According to the charge sheet, Tabisher was a ward councillor at local government level from 2006 to 2010.
On the first 11 fraud counts, she is alleged to have required 11 alleged victims to pay her deposits ranging from R300 to R2500 for low-cost housing.
The State alleges that she was not authorised to receive the payments, and that she kept the monies for herself.
According to the charge sheet, she also established the Fruitful Day Care Centre in Athlone, to care for the children of indigent community members, whilst the parents looked for work.
The State alleges that she had a financial interest in the centre, but failed to declare it as she was required to do.
According to the charge sheet, the centre closed in 1999.
The State alleges, however, that after the centre had closed, she fraudulently applied to the City of Cape Town for a R17000 grant in aid of the centre.
The aid was granted, but not paid, and this forms the basis of another fraud charge.
On yet another fraud charge, she is alleged to have applied for another R17 000 grant for a nursery school after it had closed.
Similarly, the aid was granted, but not paid.
Tabisher is also alleged to have obtained a R30 000 loan from a Section 21 company (not for gain), under false pretences.
It is alleged that she obtained the loan, but used the money for her own benefit, and not for the benefit of the community, as she was supposed to.
On the final fraud charge, she is alleged to have duped a victim into making an unspecified number of payments, in order for her to assist him in securing the lease of property belonging to the City of Cape Town.
The State alleges that she was not authorised to assist the victim, and that she used the money for her own benefit.
ANA