EL business warned about $3,5m West African scam

By Matt Ramsden

Crime Reporter

EAST LONDON -- An employee of a private investigation company here warned businessmen yesterday to be wary of West Africans offering them American dollars.

Christian Botha of Corporate Investigation Services (CIS) said several local businessmen had been approached by foreigners offering them $3,5 million.

The syndicate, believed to be run by West Africans, has approached East Londoners with various stories about the money's origins.

Botha said two men claimed that they were the sons of the finance minister in war-torn Liberia and that the $3,5 million was a donation from the American government.

Their father had supposedly beenmurdered, but before his death had managed to organise with the United Nations for his sons to escape.

They arrived in South Africa by boat, but the UN contact, a woman in Johannesburg, kept some of their belongings.

They had the dollars coloured black as a disguise and concealed in metal "safes".

In July last year they approached a local businessman and offered him the notes for R5 000, but claimed the chemical solution to change them back to dollars was in Johannesburg with the UN woman.

To prove the notes were genuine, the men used a sample of the chemical and the paper turned to a $50 bill.

Botha was called in by the businessman to see whether the "Liberians" were telling the truth.

He paid the bus fare of one of the men so he could travel to Johannesburg and collect the chemicals and give it to the businessman.

Using a contact, Botha managed to "obtain" the safes and hide them.

In August he and the businessman travelled to Gauteng where they met the original "Liberian" to ask him where the chemical solution was.

The man claimed that he needed R5000 to "buy" the chemicals back from the UN woman.

He also made suggestions that the businessman invest the money in certain schemes.

He later became nervous and left, never to be seen again.

Botha said: "No real crime has yet been committed because no money has changed hands."

About three weeks ago another man was approached in East London by two different men claiming to be from war-torn Sierra Leone. Their story was the same.

"Basically we want to warn the public about this trick and encourage them to contact us if they hear of the men and their scam," Botha said.

He can be contacted on (0431)7270022.