[imagesource: Andrew Boyers]

If you’re a criminal, the sanctity of a church might seem like a good place to hide.

Perhaps that is what Jaco Cloete thought after allegedly conning multiple people out of millions of rands with pyramid schemes in the Free State and Cape Town.

Living in Melkbosstrand, around 30 kilometres from Cape Town, the 40-something former financial broker from Bloemfontein and his third wife, Monique, a deacon and youth leader, were held in high regard in the church community, reports YOU.

He would hand out Bibles regularly and sort out anything that the church needed, while she would make the announcements before services.

Monique also seemed to have a taste for fancy cars, and Jaco had a mansion, racehorse studs, and a transport business, so money didn’t appear to be a concern.

But the high life came to an end after Jaco was caught by the Hawks in September last year and arrested for fraud and theft.

Image: Gallo Images/ Volksblad/ Mlungisi Louw

Clearly, as one resident of Melkbos who was involved in the Hawks investigation said, “the Bloemfontein ghost never left him.”

Jaco is alleged to have operated a pyramid scheme that saw people lose their pension money, severance packages, or inheritance.

This all happened mostly between 2007 and 2010:

Eleven years ago, shortly before Jaco relocated to the Cape, he allegedly conned Dr Eloise Barnard, who also lived in the Free State capital, out of more than R1,2 million.

…But Eloise’s case isn’t the only one connected with him. Last month it emerged he was facing fraud cases totalling more than R25 million.

He’s now expected to appear in the Bloemfontein High Court in August to answer to a charge sheet of 236 cases, linked to his past career as a broker in the Free State.

Zelda Kassimatis (54), and her husband, Etienne (58), who invested R1 million with Jaco when Etienne retired from the air force, described the alleged fraud as “unconscionable”, adding that “we should have known better but we trusted him.”

Jaco’s victims handed over trust and money, only realising something was wrong when the interest payments on their investment stopped abruptly.

One of his alleged victims committed suicide, he also allegedly took money from the elderly, and some families were forced to remove their children from university as they could no longer afford the fees.

The Hawks eventually ended up with a thick stack of ring binder files detailing his alleged crimes.

In July, Jaco was granted R10 000 bail and will have to return to Bloemfontein to appear in court later this month.

The church still backs him, somewhat:

Albertus Louw, minister of the Dutch Reformed Church Melkbosstrand, says Jaco and his family are still members of the congregation and are receiving “spiritual and emotional support”.

…“But we’re not naive about the challenges. If a brother or sister in faith makes mistakes, that doesn’t mean they don’t need spiritual guidance. My mistakes don’t disqualify me from the grace of God.”

Some victims just want to move on, but others are watching closely to see if justice runs its course.

[source:you]