Tsotsi actor, Terry Pheto has denied any involvement in the multimillion-rand corruption scheme at the National Lotteries Commission (NLC).
This comes after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) announced that Pheto and eight other people are being investigated for allegedly buying properties, such as houses and cars through funds acquired fraudulently at the NLC.
The SIU also announced that they got a preservation order of 12 properties linked to the NLC investigations.
In a statement released by the international actress, she said she is dismayed to discover that she is the subject of a SIU probe into allegations of fraud relating to funding by the NLC.
“I deny any involvement in the alleged scheme that has been reported on. I also had no prior knowledge of an application to obtain a preservation order against me and have had no sight of this order,” she said.
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She further said: “I hold the law in high regard and will cooperate fully with this investigation in an open and transparent manner.”
Pheto said this is a difficult time for her and thanked all those who supported her through their unwavering messages.
The preservation order was granted by the North Gauteng High Court of South Africa in Tshwane on Friday (04 November).
According to SIU spokesman Kaizer Kganyago the order granted to them gives right to freeze nine luxury properties in Tshwane, Centurion, Hartbeespoort and Johannesburg, a BMW 420i and two ocean basket franchises in the East Rand with the combined value of approximately R25 million.
Kganyago said their investigations in the affairs on the NLC had revealed that the acquisition of the properties was funded by the Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) with money they had received, under the auspices of grant funding, from the NLC.
“The luxury properties, therefore, constitute proceeds of unlawful activities hence the application for a preservation order pending the final determination of the application for final forfeiture,” he said.
