The Bloemfontein Specialised Commercial Crimes Court (SCCC) convicted and sentenced Paul Phillipus Neethling (84), director of Neetven BK, for money laundering on Wednesday, 28 May 2025.
The case dates back to 2015 when the Department of Public Works leased buildings owned by Neetven BK and New Horizon Beleging Trust for South African Police Service (SAPS) offices in Bethlehem and Harrismith. A departmental official flagged suspicious payments made to the two companies for highly inflated rates, water, and electricity charges.
The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit in Bloemfontein, which uncovered illicit payments from the companies to certain Department of Public Works officials. The fraudulent scheme caused a financial loss of R340,886.62 to the department.
After multiple court appearances, Neethling received a six-year prison sentence, wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of a similar offense during the suspension period. The court considered that Neetven BK had fully repaid the defrauded amount, leading to the withdrawal of charges against the company.
Meanwhile, the trial of two government officials implicated in the case is set to begin in the same court from 02 to 04 June 2025.
