Hawks nab fraud suspect in illegal investment scheme

The Gqeberha Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, working alongside the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), apprehended 45-year-old Rudolph Johannes Petrus De Meyer on March 12, 2025, in connection with allegations of fraud and money laundering.

De Meyer’s arrest follows a detailed investigation by the Hawks, which revealed that the suspect allegedly deceived investors by promising high returns on an investment opportunity that never materialized. Instead, funds were reportedly diverted for personal use.

According to investigators, between September 2022 and April 2023, De Meyer ran an illegal investment scheme under the guise of his company, Red Hot Industries (PTY) Ltd, defrauding investors of R1.26 million.

De Meyer was arrested in East London based on a J50 warrant, then transported to Gqeberha. He appeared in District Court 27 at the New Law Courts on March 13, 2025. The case has been postponed to March 20, 2025, for a formal bail application, with De Meyer remaining in custody.