A decade-long investigation has culminated in the arrest of a 56-year-old Eastern Cape farmer, Johannes Conraard Muller, accused of burning his own grain harvester to fraudulently claim R700,000 in insurance.
The arrest was made by the South African Police Service's Provincial Commercial Crime Investigation Unit (CCIU) in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District, bringing to light a shocking case of insurance fraud involving the deliberate destruction of farm equipment.
The case dates back to 2016 and reached a turning point on Monday.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli said the CCIU had been investigating a suspicious insurance claim filed by Muller, who allegedly set his own grain harvester alight on his Clocolan district farm and filed a fraudulent claim to recover the loss.
“Muller, a farmer from the Eastern Cape, allegedly set fire to his own grain harvester motor vehicle on his farm located in the Clocolan district,” said Kareli.
“He then submitted a fraudulent claim to his insurance company, providing false information to support his claim for the destroyed vehicle.”
The insurance company, misled by the fabricated details, approved and paid out a hefty R700,000 to Muller.
This deceptive payout remained under scrutiny for years until investigators gathered enough evidence to charge the farmer with fraud.
The breakthrough came after "extensive and thorough investigation by the Bethlehem CCIU," leading to Muller’s arrest.
He appeared before the Clocolan Magistrate’s Court on April 1, where he was granted bail of R500.
The suspect's next court date is scheduled for May 14.
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