An alleged umrah scammer, who was due to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on fraud charges, was unable to after he apparently had a “heart attack”.
Imam Fasiegh Adams of Mitchells Plain faces fraud charges after he was arrested at the Cell C
Store in Cavendish Mall in Claremont.
Adams was nabbed at the store on Friday after it was alleged he fraudulently opened several contracts with the network provider.
Adams did not show at court on Monday, and his name was not on the court roll either.
‘ILL’: Imam Fasiegh Adams of Mitchells Plain
However, TV journalist Faizal Sayed says he knew the imam would not appear as Adams reportedly fell ill.
“A source of mine from inside the hospital said Adams was admitted in the trauma section of Lentegeur Hospital after he suffered a heart attack at home and would not be going to court,” Sayed said.
Adams avoided spending the weekend in the mang,
a source close to the investigation reveals.
“He went for night court (on Saturday) and he is home. That is why he was taken to Lentegeur Hospital and was home.
“He may be out, but he must still come back for his court case, regardless of his illness he may or may not have,” the source revealed.
Adams made headlines after he was accused of scamming two umrah tour groups from Mitchells
Plain and Strand out of R1.3 million.
The pilgrims were supposed to leave for Mecca on 25 December but were left stranded after Adams “cancelled” their trips.
However, following intense media scrutiny and criminal charges being laid against him, Adams paid back six clients last month with the promise of also reimbursing his other victims.
The lawyer representing the two groups, Fazloodien Abrahams from TNK Inc Attorneys and Conveyancers, has been keeping a close eye on the case but could not confirm whether Adams had indeed appeared at night court.
WARY: Fazloedien Abrahams
“I don’t particularly know whether he received night court, but I know he is not in jail.
“We’re dealing with individuals that may have contacts within authorities.
“I would recommend Cell C get an attorney to watch and ensure that everything goes smoothly,” Abrahams said.
Adams is back in court on 12 February.