Police are hunting a “bishop” who allegedly scammed a couple by selling them a stranger’s house that he claimed was his.
The Bridgetown couple says Antonio Derek Martin left them platsak, homeless and kwaad after they paid him R80 000 for a house that he advertised on Facebook.
Martin appeared in the Daily Voice in June last year after he allegedly conned taxi boss Shareef Edwards out of R90 000 for the sale of two Toyota Quantam vans.
The two signed documents at the Hanover Park AME Church but Shareef said he never received the taxis and laid a charge of fraud after Martin disappeared.
This week, Brent and Yolande Johannes told the Daily Voice they took out a bank loan to buy the RDP house in Heideveld, which was being sold for R150 000.
Yolande, 42, says they paid Martins a R75 000 deposit and over R5000 for the transfer costs, only to find that he was not the owner and that the house was never for sale.
“On 12 January, I saw an advert on the Facebook Marketplace and called.
“The next day we met Antonio at the garage (to view the house) and he told us not to talk business in front of the residents as they were difficult tenants,” says Yolande.
“We got there and a lady welcomed us nicely.
“It is a two-bedroom RDP house near the N2.
“We were satisfied and went back to the garage to do the paperwork and the transaction.”
She says they felt comfortable as he produced his ID and documents and acted like a church man.
“Every time we asked questions, he’d quote the Bible, telling us how we found him at our time of need.
“He was with another ‘church man’ who vouched for him.”
Yolande says they took out the bank loan on 13 January and transferred the money to Martins, who brought them the house keys on 21 January and told them they could move in the next day.
“Then early on 22 January, he sent a text saying we could not move in.
“We went to the house and found the people sleeping.
“The man was so shocked to hear the place was sold and said it was never on sale and it belonged to his ouma,” explains a devastated Yolande.
“I then tried the keys and none of them worked. I was so upset that he played us like that.
“I mean, he congratulated us knowing there was no place to move into!”
Speaking to the Daily Voice, the tenant said: “I was shocked and upset when those people came here.
“I showed them my lease contract and my granny came here to explain the house is not for sale.
“He (Martins) introduced himself as an architect wanting to show those people the layout of the house.”
Yolande says: “I can’t sleep at night, we are broke and being evicted from our home as we can no longer afford to pay rent. Now there’s another debt to pay.
“We can’t remember the name of his church and now he has disappeared.
His phone numbers don’t work and we don’t have an address for him.”
Brent, 44, adds: “I want to find this guy and get my money back.”
The couple and their two children, aged 14 and 21, will now move to a relative’s backyard to live in a Wendy house.
Martins could not be reached on the numbers provided as they were no longer working.
Police spokesman Warrant Officer Joseph Swartbooi confirmed an investigation was underway: “Athlone police registered a case of general fraud and the suspect is nowhere to be found.”
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Martins is urged to call 08600 10111 or Yolande on 076 493 6510.