Brothers jailed for defrauding Free State farmers

Two brothers have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms after being convicted of fraud, forgery, uttering and money laundering in a case involving approximately R7-million in company funds.

Alexis “Lex” Du Preez, 54, was sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison, while his brother, Petrus “Rastie” Du Preez, 50, was handed an effective five-year sentence by the Bethlehem Commercial Crimes Court on Tuesday.

The sentences bring to an end a criminal case involving the brothers’ dealings with Granu Trading, a company co-owned by Alexis, which became the subject of a police investigation after millions of rands were allegedly siphoned from its bank account.

Millions transferred from company account

According to the Hawks, Alexis conducted several transactions in which money was transferred from the company’s bank account into his personal account. On some occasions, funds were also transferred into Petrus’s bank account.

The transactions resulted in the complainant suffering a financial loss of approximately R7-million, the Hawks said.

READ: Gauteng woman sentenced for R4.59m fraud, money laundering scheme

The brothers were arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team following an investigation into the alleged fraudulent activities, which occurred between 2017 and 2018.

Alexis and Petrus were subsequently convicted by Bethlehem District Magistrate Collin Nekosie on 20 counts of fraud, eight counts of forgery, eight counts of uttering and 12 counts of money laundering.

The charges stemmed from transactions involving the company and allegations that the brothers unlawfully benefited from funds that should have remained under the control of the business.

Hawks detail fraudulent transactions

Hawks spokesperson in the Free State, Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti said: “The brothers were sentenced on 26 October 2026, following their conviction on various counts relating to the offences. Alexis Du Preez was a co-owner of a company with the complainant. During the period in question, he unlawfully conducted several transactions in which funds were transferred from the company’s bank account into his personal bank account. On some occasions, funds were also transferred into his brother’s bank account. The fraudulent activities resulted in the complainant suffering a financial loss of approximately R7-million.”

READ: Mosebenzi Zwane out on R10 000 bail for fraud and corruption

Matoti added that upon noticing the fraudulent transactions, the complainant reported the matter to the police.

“The case was subsequently referred to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in Bethlehem for further investigation. The investigation resulted in the arrest of the two brothers, who were ultimately convicted on charges of fraud, forgery, uttering and money laundering.

Hawks welcome convictions

The provincial head of the Hawks in the Free State, Maj-Gen Mokgadi Bokaba, applauded the investigating officer for the diligent work that resulted in the successful investigation and prosecution of the matter.

The case highlights the Hawks’ continued focus on complex commercial crimes involving the alleged misuse and unlawful movement of company funds.

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