Mahatma Gandhi’s great-granddaughter sentenced to 7 years in jail in South Africa!

Ashish Lata Ramgobin, great granddaughter of the famous social activist Mahatma Gandhi has been sentenced to 7 years in Jail in South Africa at the age of 56 years. She has been accused in a six-million rand fraud and forgery case and sentenced by Durban Court. She was found guilty on Monday. She defrauded businessman SR Maharaj, director of the New Africa Alliance Footwear Distributors, whose company imports and manufactures and sells clothing, linen and footwear. After he advanced R6.2 million to her to clear import and Customs duties for a non-existent consignment from India and was promised a share of profits.

Her trial was started in 2015 and that time she allegedly provided forged invoices and documents to convince potential investors that three containers of linen were being shipped in from India but was bailed with 50,000 rand. 

What happened was, she met Maharaj in 2015 and said that she has financial difficulties to pay for import costs and customs and she needed the money to clear the goods at the harbour and advised him (Maharaj) that she needed R6.2 million. To convince him, she showed him what she claimed was a signed purchase order for the goods. Later that month, she sent him what seemed to be a NetCare invoice and delivery note as proof that the goods were delivered and payment was imminent. Because of Ramgobin’s family credentials and NetCare documents, Maharaj had entered into a written agreement with her for the loan.

However, after Maharaj found out that the documents were forged and NetCare had no arrangements with Lata Ramgobin, he laid criminal charges.

Data source: opindia