[imagesource: City Press / Instagram]

A number of women have come forward to detail how they were fleeced by Amon “Amoleno” Namara, the man dubbed “South Africa’s very own Tinder Swindler”.

The nickname has now morphed into the ‘Sandton Tinder Swindler’ due in part to the fact that he was arrested by the Hawks on a busy road in the so-called richest square mile in Africa.

Yesterday, the 43-year-old Ugandan national appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court. Here’s the latest via News24:

[Namara] has been granted R500 000 bail on allegations of fraud and money laundering.

The magistrate, Nishani Beharie, set the hefty bail amount for Amon Amonelo Namara because of the gravity of the charges…

The prosecutor, Goitsemang Gorewang, read an affidavit prepared by the Hawks’ investigating officer, Sello Mohapeloa. Gorewang opposed Namara’s bail application, claiming he was in the country illegally.

On top of the charges he’s currently facing, Namara was convicted of fraud in 2010, and his ex-wife has opened cases of intimidation and common assault.

Namara’s victims should be thankful that one woman decided the swindling was enough and filed charges.

The woman in question, whose name is not public, alleges she was defrauded to the tune of R3 million. She claims she electronically transferred R1,3 million into Namara’s FNB account, as well as withdrawing R1,7 million in portions that she handed over to him.

She also claims that Namara used those funds to buy a Mercedes-Benz for R722 000, personalising the licence plate to read ‘DUNCANH GP’.

Still better than 2FAST4U, but lame nonetheless.

Eric Bryer, acting on behalf of Namara, denied his client was in the country illegally. He also argued that Namara is not a flight risk because his Ugandan passport is being kept at the Sandton police station in connection with those common assault charges.

Namara is due back in court on April 29.

[source:news24]