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The bail application of the owner of a popular Jeffreys Bay pub, Jolly Dolphin, got underway in the Humansdorp magistrates court on Wednesday.
Thirty-six-year-old Vasti Opperman faces 14 fraud charges for allegedly duping investors out of more than R5 million.
Police said in an earlier statement that she had allegedly solicited funds from people “on the pretense of making investments on their behalf".
According to the statement, she allegedly sent proof of payment to clients, who claimed not to have received the funds indicated in the documents provided to them.
This was allegedly done through her business, Arcus Invest, of which she is the sole owner.
Opperman said in an affidavit read into court records by her attorney, that she did not commit any crime.
She said her incarceration poses financial losses to her business as she is responsible for the day-to-day operations.
In the affidavit, she said her establishment makes about R4.5 million profit during the festive season
Her girlfriend Maxine Brent also took the stand in support of her bail application and told the court that she was with Opperman when she was arrested on 27 November outside her Jeffreys Bay home.
Her mother Hanlie was also called to testify, telling the court that her daughter looked after her financially, as she could not with her pension money due to her monthly medical aid premiums costing R5000.
During the proceedings, the state called Sergeant Ilona Mazina to testify on behalf of the investigating officer.
She said police had bank statements and Whatsapp conversations proving that investors did pay her money.
The police also have contracts between Opperman and the people who invested in her business which stipulate that some investors would receive 5% and others a 10% interest payout.
"The contract also stipulates that should an investor want their money back, they should inform her in writing and their total investment will be paid out to their bank accounts within 14 days, but that never happened," Mazina testified.
According to the police, Opperman came up with all sorts of stories about why she could not pay out her investors and one of the reasons was the money was kept in a Mauritian account which she could not access unless she went to Mauritius herself.
Mazina also told the court that when they arrested Opperman, she said they were lucky to have found her, otherwise, she would have “fled and would never be found again”.
After Opperman arrived at the police station where she was charged, she then told Mazina that she had contacts and would "deal" with those who opened cases against her.
Mazina further testified that there is evidence that Opperman previously paid someone to stab a person who she disagreed with.
Audrey van Staden, a Jeffreys Bay resident and one of Opperman's victims said: "All that I wanted was for her to pay what is due to me."
"I don't want to say that I am the reason she is behind bars, it was her actions that brought her to where she is now."
Van Staden says she invested R140 000 and her sister in Pretoria invested R200 000.
"The last time I received my interest payout was in May this year thereafter, she came up with many stories."
Seeing Opperman in court today and hearing what she has been up to, Van Staden said she wants her to sit in jail and "face God and feel how it is to lose everything."
The matter was rolled over to Thursday for the continuation of the bail application.
