Minister of Sports and Patriotic Alliance president Gayton McKenzie’s nemesis, Jermaine Prim, has been sentenced to 10 years’ direct imprisonment by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge after masterminding a fraud scheme to steal a Mercedes-Benz C63 worth about R800,000.
NPA South Gauteng spokesperson Magaboke Mohlatlole said Prim, who shot to fame after accusing McKenzie and his associates of being proxies for drug cartels, was found guilty of impersonating an employee of Mercedes-Benz South Africa.
In a statement, Mohlatlole said Prim, has remained behind bars since his arrest. While in prison, he allegedly committed further serious offences and drew public attention after making allegations against a public figure and participating in a media interview from prison.
The court heard that in January 2018, while detained at the Johannesburg Correctional Centre, Prim orchestrated a scheme by falsely posing as a Mercedes-Benz South Africa employee.
After discovering through social media that the complainant was unhappy with recurring mechanical problems affecting his vehicle, Prim allegedly telephoned him while pretending to be “Shane” from Mercedes-Benz South Africa’s head office.
To strengthen the deception, Prim manipulated the caller identification to display a legitimate Mercedes-Benz South Africa telephone number, creating the impression that the call had originated from the company.
Mercedes-Benz South Africa later confirmed that it had no employee named “Shane” and launched an internal investigation.
Prim then allegedly instructed his co-accused, Clayton Bouwers, who has since been sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, to collect the vehicle under the false pretence that it would be taken to a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Bryanston for repairs.
On 16 January 2018, Bouwers arrived at the complainant’s premises and falsely claimed to be a Mercedes-Benz South Africa employee.
He was dressed in a gold T-shirt and golf cap bearing Mercedes-Benz branding to make the deception appear legitimate.
Acting on information received from Mercedes-Benz South Africa, police officers conducted a sting operation and arrested Bouwers before he could drive away in the vehicle.
The investigation later revealed that the cellphone used to contact the complainant was recovered from the prison cell occupied solely by Prim.
The court heard that Prim attempted to flush the cellphone down the toilet in an effort to destroy the evidence.
A cellphone data analyst later confirmed through forensic analysis that Prim had used the device to communicate with the complainant, directly linking him to the fraudulent scheme.
Senior State Advocate Tilas Shabalala successfully proved that Prim was the mastermind behind the planned theft and the fraudulent misrepresentations that persuaded the complainant to hand over the vehicle.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentence, saying it sends a strong message that fraud schemes, including those orchestrated from inside correctional facilities, will be met with severe consequences.
The NPA said the conviction also highlights the importance of coordinated investigations, cooperation between corporate entities and law enforcement, and digital forensic evidence in exposing organised criminal activity and ensuring offenders are brought to justice.
