It was second time unlucky for theft accused accountant Jonathan Blow, whose appeal against a magistrate’s decision not to grant him bail was dismissed on Tuesday.
Blow, a qualified chartered accountant, is accused of stealing more than R52m from two retail stores over a two-year period before jetting off to Portugal on a family holiday.
Gqeberha high court judge Vuyokazi Noncembu said magistrate Thembakazie Mlindazwe’s decision not to grant bail was correct as there was a strong likelihood Blow may attempt to evade trial, interfere with witnesses or tamper with evidence.
Noncembu found that evidence tendered by the investigating officer in the matter, Lieutenant-Colonel Natalie Connelly, had proved that, before his March 17 arrest, Blow had closed down his company, PE Accounting Solutions (PEAS) in February and placed his two Walmer properties on the market.
He had also been granted a British ancestral visa four days before his arrest.
Connelly’s evidence indicated that Blow hoped to work in the UK and earn enough money to pay back the owners of the two businesses he had allegedly stolen the money from.
According to the state, between September 11 2020 and March 10 2022, in addition to the fees for which he had invoiced Despatch SuperSPAR, Blow allegedly unlawfully made 105 transactions amounting to R11,478,350 from the store’s trading accounts to his own business bank account.
It is further alleged that, between July 2020 and September 2022, Blow had siphoned off more than R40m from the Sunridge SuperSPAR.
In his affidavit to court, Blow claimed that the move the UK was not intended to be permanent, as he had wanted to pay off his two bank overdrafts totalling about R500,000.
He said the reason he had put his properties on the market was for his wife to get a smaller, cheaper place, as they could not afford the bonds after he had stopped working.
From the onset, state prosecutor Lise Keech had contended that Blow had stashed money away in an overseas bank account and that he intended fleeing the country before he was arrested.
“The state’s case against [Blow] is very strong, with the evidence based on a paper trail and bank statements,” Noncembu said.
“The charges against him are such that, if convicted, he faces a minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment on each count.
“No doubt that creates a very good incentive for one to attempt to evade trial.”
Blow was not present in court on Tuesday, but is expected back in the magistrate’s court on June 15.
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