Police battle mountain of white-collar crime

According to the Mail & Guardian, recently released crime statistics indicate that white-collar crime has risen by 12.6% in the past financial year and the highest number of incidents (61 690) in six years was recorded in 2006/07. When the statistics were released earlier this month, little mention was made by the SAPS about the fight against corruption, fraud, 419 scams or tax evasion, which fall into the white-collar category. The SAPS rarely sends out press statements about successful projects by its commercial branch and its office for serious economic offences. This is in sharp contrast to the Scorpions, whose high-profile cases are known, and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU), which has proved successful in the prosecution of fraud involving social grants and driver\'s licences. \'A drop in the ocean\' is how a well-placed source in the financial sector this week described the contribution of the SAPS to fighting white-collar crime. But, says Captain Nicolaas Geldenhuys of the branch, the perceived ineffectiveness is a \'misconception\'. The SAPS provided the Mail & Guardian with 13 examples of large commercial crime cases under investigation. The gravest of these is a pyramid scheme in Port Elizabeth in which investors were allegedly defrauded of R155m. Six people are charged with fraud and contravening the Banks Act. Full Mail & Guardian Online report