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.
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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.”
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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.
- Alexis “Lex” Du Preez was sentenced to 15 years in prison and his brother Petrus “Rastie” Du Preez to five years by Bethlehem Commercial Crimes Court for fraud, forgery, uttering, and money laundering.
- The brothers were found guilty of siphoning approximately R7-million from Granu Trading, a company co-owned by Alexis Du Preez.
- The fraudulent activities involved transferring company funds into Alexis's and Petrus's personal bank accounts between 2017 and 2018.
- The Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team arrested the brothers following the investigation launched after the complainant reported the suspicious transactions.
- The convictions were praised by Maj-Gen Mokgadi Bokaba, head of the Hawks in the Free State, highlighting their focus on combating complex commercial crimes.
