The Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 9 February 2022, finally completed the web on the Cell C’s missing millions allegations involving former employees and service providers.
The court granted two men charged with fraud and money laundering, bail of R10 000-00 and R30 000-00 respectively.
The charges involve the allegations of the Cell C alleged missing millions when service providers allegedly colluded and inflated rates where the network service provider suffered a loss of approximately R130 million between 2012 and 2019.
It is alleged that the accused, Christopher Marrian (43) was employed by Cell C as an IT Security Manager between 2003 and 2013 and now employed by MTN for the same position.
A warrant of arrest was issued for his apprehension on the alleged involvement of colluding and inflating rates for services rendered at Cell C between 2012 and 2019.
Investigation revealed that Marrian allegedly received about R3 million on two transactions into his bank account as proceeds of crime from Techno Genius owned by Adriaan Pillay.
Another suspect who handed himself in together with Marrian, at the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation in Johannesburg and charged with fraud and money laundering, was Robert Stephen Holloway (70), the Iceberg Technology Solution (PTY) Ltd’s Director.
More allegations are that Iceberg Technology Solution (PTY) Ltd rendered IT and network services for Cell C between 2010 and 2017.
It was further determined that Holloway’s company transferred approximately R14.5 million into Techno Genius in the same period.
To name a few companies which allegedly benefitted from the fraudulent rate inflation for services rendered at Cell C, was Iceberg Technology Solution (PTY)Ltd, Redefine Technology, Cornerstone and Blue Kit IT, Techno Genius, and their owners, Adriaan Pillay and his wife, Michelle Pillay; Mohamed Ismail Adamjee and his wife, Khatiya Patel, Manuel Reimaldo Teixeira and Lufuno Lesly Nevhutalu including the arrest of Marrian and Holloway.
The nine accused are expected to be back in court on Wednesday, 16 February 2022.
