Phiwokuhle Mothemela
It was all smiles for the family members of the owner of Jolly Dolphin pub in Jeffreys Bay, Vasti Opperman, who was granted bail on Friday amid fraud charges.
Thirty-six-year-old Opperman now faces 24 charges of fraud after she allegedly scammed people out of more than R4 million through her investment scheme, Arcus Invest.
The Jeffreys Bay local arrived at the Humansdorp magistrate's court wearing the same black Adidas t-shirt, blue jeans, and white Converse sneakers she wore on Wednesday when she launched her bid for bail.
During proceedings, she frequently shook her head in disagreement when Magistrate David Kora, in his bail judgment, read out parts of the testimony of Sergeant Ilona Mazina who testified in the bail hearing on behalf of the investigating officer.
Kora granted Opperman bail of R40 000 with strict conditions.
Her mother, Hanlie Opperman, and her girlfriend, Maxine Brent, held hands and smiled when they heard that Opperman would be home in time for Christmas.
In his bail judgment, Magistrate Kora noted that Opperman intends to plead not guilty to the charges once the trial starts, adding that the state believed it has a strong prima facie case against her.
Speaking after the court proceedings, one of Opperman's victims, Audrey van Staden, said she expected her to be granted bail.
"She now has the opportunity to fix her mistakes," said Van Staden, who had invested R140 000 with Arcus Invest.
"In the two weeks that she has been in custody, she received a preview of what prison is," she said,
The case was postponed to 21 February 2025.
Read more: Bail hearing of J Bay woman charged with fraud underway
