Auckland businessman Carel Johannes Viljoen has been found guilty of money laundering after receiving nearly $2 million from victims of an offshore investment scam.
Viljoen, who opened a Westpac account to receive the funds, later transferred the money overseas, claiming he was unaware of any illegal activity. However, the Auckland District Court ruled that he had been reckless in his actions.
As part of the scheme, Viljoen earned approximately $60,000 in commission for his role in processing the fraudulent transactions. Despite his claims that he took steps to verify the legitimacy of the arrangement, the court found that both he and Westpac had been deceived by the sophisticated scam.
Viljoen now faces a maximum seven-year prison sentence, with sentencing set for June.
