SAPS
A 58-year-old man from Port Alfred made a brief appearance in the local Magistrate's Court on Tuesday for allegedly duping people into giving him money that they thought was going to be used as Covid-19 donations.
On the very first day of the hard lockdown on the 26th of March 2020, Christopher Stylianou and two other people started raising funds for food parcels for families who were impacted by the national lockdown.
Police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender says their first funds were received by a local foundation that donated an amount of R10 000.
She says Stylianou then registered a non-profit company called Ndlambe Lockdown Support Group and was now in possession of the bank card.
Captain Govender says sponsorships and donations were received from reputable organisations and the community who paid money into the Bank account.
She says when the lockdown rules were relaxed, and donations along with the food parcels quietened, the suspect announced that funds were drying up.
A meeting was called by the other members involved who requested Bank statements from the accused as he was the treasurer.
Captain Govender says during the investigation it was established that nearly R400 000 was deposited into the account but that only a third of the money was used for its intended purposes.
Stylianou was granted bail of R3 000 and must be back in court on the 7th of June with legal representation.
