Fraud accused a lovely person: victim

An alleged victim of a woman jeweller facing fraud charges described the jeweller as a “lovely person” in a Cape Town cour.

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Cape Town - An alleged victim of a woman jeweller facing fraud charges described the jeweller as a “lovely person” in a Cape Town court on Tuesday.

Shenaaz Allie, of the Cape Town suburb of Rylands, took jewellery to the jeweller to be modernised, but never got the jewellery back.

She told the court: “I like jewellery - I am a woman.”

The jeweller, Ferial Baboet, and her husband, Denish Nathoo, owners of the jewellery store Damjee Bros, appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crime Court in Bellville before magistrate Sabrina Sonnenberg.

They pleaded not guilty to 170 charges, including fraud for allegedly lodging a false insurance claim for a house robbery that never happened.

Their defence team, advocate Grant Smith and attorney Aadil Kirsten, told the court that the couple had chosen not to explain their pleas of not guilty.

Allie said the work was to have taken about two weeks, but when she inquired after two weeks, Baboet said the job was not finished yet.

She added: “I liked her, she’s a lovely person.”

When she eventually went back to the shop, Baboet said there was a mixup, and when she telephoned Baboet later, Baboet said her husband had been stabbed in a robbery.

Then there was a rumour that Baboet had been arrested, she said.

She added: “As I stand here today, I have not received the jewellery back.”

Asked by prosecutor Jacques Smith whether she initially regarded Baboet as her friend, she replied: “Undoubtedly – she always gave me her full attention.”

Asked if Baboet was still her friend, she said: “No.”

Another alleged victim, Amiena Sirkot said she had sold her wedding jewellery, a valuable gold necklace and a pair of earrings, to Damjee Bros in August 2011, for R23 000.

Baboet was to pay her within 10 days via an electronic-fund-transfer (EFT).

She told the court: “I waited but got no money and when I phoned her, she said she would still do the EFT.

“I phoned a second time, to be told that her husband was ill – he had been stabbed in a robbery, and was in hospital.

“After that, I phoned about 15 times, but couldn’t make contact with her.

“As I stand here today, I never received the money, or the jewellery back,” she said.

A wedding photograph of her, wearing the necklace and earrings, was handed to the court.

Cross-examined by the defence, both women agreed that their respective transactions had been business deals.

Sirkot said she had never been “done in” by Baboet before, and that she had always enjoyed a good business relationship with her “until now”.

She agreed that her transaction had “gone sour”, and said she had not gone to an attorney because “my jewellery was taken, so I went to the police”.

She said she went to the police after hearing that Baboet had been locked up”.”

Allie said Baboet had offered her other gold jewellery to replace hers.

She said: “What I was offered was not gold - it was like something off the street, and had no value.”

Asked why she had not gone to an attorney, Allie replied: “If I had the money for an attorney, I would not be standing here.”

The defence asked what her attitude would be if her jewellery were returned to her.

She replied: “I would be grateful.”

She said she laid the criminal charge “to get my jewellery back.”

The case continues on Wednesday.

ANA