Johannesburg – A couple, Robbie Smith, 67, who went by the alias Chris Boshoff and his wife, Alice Abigail Boshoff, 59, were arrested on Tuesday for faking the husband’s death in 1999.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramovha announced on Wednesday morning that the couple, who resided in Benoni area at the time, connived and faked Robbie Smith’s death.
“He reportedly ‘died’ from a motor vehicle accident in Vosloorus. Consequently, an insurance claim was registered at Old Mutual insurance, leading to a payout of just over R1.7 million,” Ramovha said.
According to the authorities, the couple quietly moved from Gauteng to KwaZulu-Natal after receiving the windfall and eventually settled in the Western Cape, in the Knysna area, also known as the Garden Route, which is a tourist destination.
“Around 2020, Old Mutual was tipped off about the possibility that they were scammed as Smith was apparently very much alive. Following an internal probe, a docket of fraud was registered in October 2020, and assigned to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime for investigation,” Ramovha said.
The Hawks said the team traced the couple to a hideout in Knysna, leading to their arrest on Tuesday on a court order.
“Upon searching their place, two unlicensed firearms were recovered. A case of unlawful possession of firearms has now been included,” the spokesperson added.
Smith and Boshoff are set to appear in the Knysna Magistrate’s Court on November 9.
However, the couple will be transferred to a Gauteng court to face the initial charge of fraud in the next week, according to the Hawks.
The Star