Asset forfeiture secures preservation order on R2.2 million Hartbeespoort property acquired through fraudulent scheme

The Pretoria Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has secured a preservation order from the Pretoria High Court for a house valued at R2.2 million in Hartbeespoort, North West. 

TH property, owned by Johannes Jakobus Badenhorst, known as Hannes Badenhorst, and his wife, Christelle Badenhorst, was allegedly acquired through funds linked to a fraudulent scheme involving diamond investments.

The house, purchased in May 2022 and registered under both names, remains their residence as investigations continue.

National Prosecution Authority spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana said the AFU's probe revealed that the funds used to acquire the property were sourced from Tarioco (Pty) Ltd, a company founded by Louis Petrus Liebenberg within the controversial Forever Diamonds and Gold group of companies.

She said the investigation unveiled alarming details about the operations of the FDG group. Hannes Badenhorst served as a director of Tarioco, participating in a scheme that lured unsuspecting members of the public into Joint Venture agreements promising lucrative returns from non-existent diamond parcels. The promised high returns were smoke and mirrors, masking the fact that investor funds were misappropriated to finance personal properties and a mine, symptomatic of a classic Ponzi scheme.

Furthermore, as the investigation unfolded, it emerged that the incoming investments were used to pay off existing investors, raising red flags about the legitimacy of the operation.

Mahanjana said the AFU confirmed that the Hartbeespoort house is not part of the assets seized by the liquidators of Tariomix, the company linked to the scam.

"The next step is to apply for a final forfeiture order, when granted the house will be sold on public auction and the proceeds paid into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account," she said.

Meanwhile, the criminal case against Hannes Badenhorst, Christelle Badenhorst, and others implicated, including Liebenberg and nine co-accused, will be heard on July 8, 2025, at the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate Court.

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