Gauteng, South Africa — A 44-year-old woman, Amanda Gloria Edgar, has been sentenced to five years in prison for her role in a fraudulent property deal that cost a buyer R4.5 million, the Hawks confirmed on Wednesday.
Edgar was convicted of fraud and money laundering by the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, after being found guilty of orchestrating a scam between October 2015 and September 2016.
According to Hawks spokesperson W/O Thatohatsi Mavimbela, the victim was attempting to purchase a property in Croatia, valued at €850,000 (approx. R17 million). As per the contract, €300,000 (approx. R6 million) was to be paid upfront, with the remainder due over two years.
Soon after negotiations, the buyer received a contract via email along with banking details for an FNB account. Believing it was legitimate, the victim made a payment of R4.5 million to the account.
However, the Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) flagged the transaction and contacted the buyer. Despite their warning, the victim confirmed the payment was for a property purchase.
An investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit later revealed that the bank account belonged to a company named Peak Global, which was controlled by Edgar. After receiving the funds, she dispersed the money into various personal and business accounts.
Edgar was arrested on October 23, 2023, at Delft police station and later granted bail.
On Wednesday, she was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, with five years suspended, resulting in an effective five-year prison term.
Gauteng Hawks head, Maj-Gen Ebrahim Kadwa, praised both the investigation and prosecution teams for their work in bringing Edgar to justice.
