A police captain attached to a high-level security unit has appeared in court in connection with a multimillion-rand fraud and theft case.
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A police captain attached to a high-level security unit has appeared in court in connection with a multimillion-rand fraud and theft case, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said.
Johannes Daniel Jansen van Rensburg, 52, appeared before the Pretoria Magistrate's Court facing charges of fraud worth R4 million and theft amounting to R1 million. The alleged offences were committed while he was stationed in the finance section of the Protection and Security Service (PSS).
NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the alleged scheme took place over a two-year period, during which the accused allegedly abused his access to internal financial systems.
“It is alleged that between March 2024 to March 2026, Jansen van Rensburg used his access to the finance system to withdraw money by manipulating the system to book out cash for himself under the disguise that the money was meant for travelling expenses for close protectors attached to the Presidential Protection Services (PPS),” Mahanjana said.
According to the NPA, the funds did not reach their intended recipients, raising concerns about oversight within the unit responsible for protecting senior government officials.
“It is further alleged that the withdrawn money was not received by the close protectors,” Mahanjana added.
The alleged fraud was detected after irregular transactions were flagged internally, prompting an investigation.
“After a suspicious transaction was detected on the system by the finance division, an internal investigation was conducted by the Financial Management Services and a case was opened against the accused,” Mahanjana confirmed.
Jansen van Rensburg was arrested at his residence on April 6. The State did not oppose bail, and he was released on R50,000 bail after the court accepted that he posed a low risk.
“The accused has no previous convictions or pending cases, is not considered a flight risk, and is unlikely to interfere with investigations or public order,” Mahanjana quoted from an affidavit provided by investigating officer Constable Byron Andrews.
The case was postponed to July 30 for further investigation.
The NPA said it remains committed “to ensuring accountability and the effective prosecution of corruption and financial crimes within state institutions”.