A police captain attached to a high-level security unit is at the centre of a multimillion-rand fraud case, with the National Prosecuting Authority revealing that he is accused of siphoning off a combined R5 million from state coffers.
Image: SAPS
A police captain attached to a high-level security unit is at the centre of a multimillion-rand fraud case, with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealing that he is accused of siphoning off a combined R5 million from state coffers.
Johannes Daniel Jansen van Rensburg, 52, appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on charges of fraud worth R4 million and theft amounting to R1 million, allegedly committed while he was stationed in the finance section of the Protection and Security Service (PSS).
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana says the alleged scheme ran for two years, during which the captain is said to have abused his access to internal financial systems to divert funds under false pretences.
“It is alleged that between March 2024 to March 2026, Jansen van Rensburg used his access to the finance system to withdraw money by manipulating the system to book out cash for himself under the disguise that the money was meant for travelling expenses for close protectors attached to the Presidential Protection Services (PPS),” Mahanjana said.
The authority stated that the money never reached the intended beneficiaries, raising serious concerns about oversight within the unit responsible for protecting the country’s top leadership.
“It is further alleged that the withdrawn money was not received by the close protectors,” Mahanjana continued, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The alleged fraud was uncovered after irregular activity was flagged internally, triggering an investigation. “After a suspicious transaction was detected on the system by the finance division, an internal investigation was conducted by the Financial Management Services and a case was opened against the accused,” Mahanjana confirmed.
Jansen van Rensberg was arrested at his residence on April 6. Despite the scale of the alleged theft, the State did not oppose bail. He was released on R50,000 bail after the court accepted that he posed little risk.
“The accused has no previous convictions or pending cases, is not considered a flight risk, and is unlikely to interfere with investigations or public order,” Mahanjana quoted from an affidavit provided by investigating officer Constable Byron Andrews.
The case has been postponed to July 30 for further investigation as scrutiny mounts over financial controls within SAPS’ elite units.
The NPA affirmed its commitment “to ensuring accountability and the effective prosecution of corruption and financial crimes within state institutions”, vowing to thoroughly investigate bizarre occurrences such as this one.
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