A bogus funeral parlour operating in the Western Cape has been ordered to pay a fine by the Oudtshoorn Regional Court for operating without documentation.
Alpha Star Funeral Services, run by Jacob Veldman, 40, was convicted as acting as a financial service provider without having a license and misleading members of the public, specifically the poor within the local community.
The provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), Zinzi Hani said Alpha Star Funeral Services did not pay the R10,000 policy benefit to a family even though the policy was paid up.
The family had another funeral parlour render the burial which was covered by a secondary policy.
“The company was found guilty of contravening Section 7(1) of the Financial Advisory Intermediary Act 37 of 2002.
“His entity was subsequently given a R50,000 fine or five years imprisonment suspended for five years on condition that Alpha Star Funeral Services pays R10,000 to the victim before September 15, 2023,” Hani said.
Head of the Hawks in the Western Cape, Major General Mathipa Makgato lauded the team for a job well done in ensuring justice was served.
Makgato urged the public to be extra vigilant when dealing with financial advisers and institutions.