Rachel Lottering believed to be on the run in Pretoria, allegedly duped people into believing that she had inherited R600-million.

Rachel Lottering, 37, believed to be on the run in Pretoria, allegedly duped people into believing that she had inherited R600-million.Bellville specialised commercial crime court on Monday authorised a warrant for the arrest of a woman alleged to have obtained loans by fraudulent means.She was to have gone on trial on Monday before Magistrate Amrith Chabilall on four counts of fraud, but was absent when the case was called.Facing the same charges were her husband, Jacob, of George in the Southern Cape, and a friend of the couple, Johannes Jantjies.The wife's absence caused the withdrawal of her privately funded attorney, William van der Schyff, who told the court she had not met her financial commitments towards him, nor had he been able to consult her.Her bail was initially fixed at R5 000, but was later reduced to R2 000.According to her husband, she was "somewhere in Pretoria", Van der Schyff said.He added: "Last Saturday, she informed me that she had no money to come down to Cape Town."On the first charge, prosecutor Jacques Smith alleges she fraudulently induced George businessman Werner Kruger to advance her R257 409 whilst her non-existent inheritance was being finalised.Her inheritance was to be invested in his business, Smith alleges.The second charge alleges that she duped Rodney Kemp, of Belhar on the Cape Flats, to resign his job and spend R43 000 on premises and office furniture for a company that he was to launch on her behalf.He did this on her false pretence that she was to invest R15-million of her inheritance in the business, and that he, his wife Merle, and Lottering and her husband would be the directors.The third charge alleges that she similarly induced Southern Cape businessman Andries George to lend her R33 000 while she waited for the finalisation of a R700-million inheritance - not R600-million as with the others.
On the fourth charge, she is alleged to have similarly induced Belhar businessman to lend her R15 000 while she waited for her inheritance.The charge sheet did not specify what part her husband or Jantjies had in the alleged scam.
The matter case was postponed to July 28, when the arrest warrant is to be executed should she again fail to appear in court.