WESTERN CAPE - A 44-year-old Zayid Dawood Karrim, who submitted fraudulent documents for vehicle finance at Toyota in Ottery, Cape Town will effectively serve two years in prison. He was sentenced on Monday, 3 July 2023 by the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for forgery, fraud and contravention of the National Credit Act.
A complaint of vehicle finance fraud was received at Ottery Toyota in October 2010 through Westbank, where Karrim inflated bank statements and submitted false payslips during the application of a vehicle worth R665 635. He failed to pay his monthly installments and to inform the bank of the vehicle’s whereabouts, after he had sub-rented the vehicle. The person whom he rented out the vehicle tried to cross Beitbridge into Zimbabwe in 2012 and that is where the fraud was discovered.
Karrim was arrested in 2015, and during the court appearances, he later absconded. He was traced and re-arrested by the Bellville based Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team on a warrant of arrest which later led him to handing himself over to the team on 22 August 2022 for contempt of court relating to two of his previous court attendances pertaining to vehicle finance fraud in 2010 and 2013. He was released on R5000 bail on both cases each.
Karrim was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for forgery, 12 months imprisonment for contravention of the National Credit Act and six years imprisonment for fraud of which four years was suspended.
Effectively, Karrim will serve two (2) years direct imprisonment and he will be appearing on 28 August 2023 on the 2013 matter.