SEVEN suspects accused of taking 2.3 billion rand ($132.43 million) from VBS Mutual bank in 2018 said they would plead not guilty to 47 counts of fraud, theft, corruption and racketering when they appeared in a South African court on Thursday.
The National Prosecuting Authority has called it probably the biggest bank robbery in South Africa’s history.
An eighth suspect did not appear because he was under COVID-19 quarantine.
The suspects, all arrested on Wednesday, include former VBS executives, a former partner of KPMG South Africa – the firm which audited the bank and reported the partner to the police – an ex-police officer and a former state pension fund executive.
“All the accused acquired or maintained, directly or indirectly, an interest in or control of the enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activities,” read the charge sheet document in court.
“To hide the crime of theft, misrepresentations were made
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