Plot thickens in Brown fraud case

J Arthur Brown.

The Cape Town Magistrate's Court is expected to rule today whether the state can have another week to finalise its case against the former boss of the Fidentia group of companies, J Arthur Brown. He appeared in court yesterday facing even more charges relating to fraud and theft.

Brown was arrested on Friday and appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates court facing new charges. This was Brown's third arrest in just over a year. The new charges relate to investments made to Fidentia by an investment company, Antheru.

Brown has been remanded in custody pending judgment about a request by the State that his bail conditions be scrapped. One of the stumbling blocks in the matter is that Brown's wife, Susan, has left the country for Australia. This is despite the fact that a warrant of arrest had been issued against her to stand trial alongside her husband on new charges of theft, money laundering and fraud.

The State wants to use the postponement to establish whether Brown's wife Susan is intending to reside permanently in Australia.