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3. Tigon travesty

The Tigon saga blew up in 2002 when Tigot directors Gary Porritt and Sue Bennett were arrested on charges ranging from fraud, theft, tax evasion, share price manipulation and racketeering.

Main instigators: Gary Porritt and Sue Bennett

Victims: Estimated to have involved around 4500 investors, of whom 55 percent were pensioners.

Amount defrauded: R250-million in investors' money was never recovered.

What happened to the masterminds: Gary Porritt and Sue Bennett have managed to drag out their fraud trial for seven years without its merits being heard. However, earlier in 2009 the Johannesburg High Court granted the duo legal aid following their claims of financial insufficiencies, despite the fact that the pair was release on almost a R1-million bail.

What you didn't know: Porritt and Bennett face a record number of 3160 charges ? the largest number of changes faced by individuals in South Africa.

4. Fidentia

The Fidentia Group, previously known as Kerbyn (Pty) Ltd, got a name-makeover when J Arthur Brown, a used-lawn salesman, joined the group in 2003.

South Africa's biggest fraud case at the time, the Fidentia scandal was operated from around 2003 to 2007, when Rudi Bam blew the whistle on the financial irregularities at the group. Bam was not, however, the hero he claimed to be. This became clear when the curators demanded about R8.5-million from the former director.

Main instigators: J Arthur Brown, Steven Goodwin and Graham Maddock

Victims: Mostly widows and orphans of mineworkers.

Amount defrauded: An amount of R1.1-billion is estimated to be unaccounted for; however, curators have recovered around R160-million from the sale of Fidentia assets and from claims against individuals who have benefited from fraudulent deals.

What happened to the masterminds: After fleeing the country, Steven Goodwin ? who allegedly received more than R93-million ? was captured in the US and extradited back to SA. He entered a plea agreement and was sentenced to an effective10 years in jail while agreeing to testify in criminal proceedings against his former associate, J Arthur Brown.

Graham Maddock pleaded guilty to theft and money laundering and was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2008. He has also undertaken to repay R6.3-million.

After having his trail date postponed on numerous occassions, the company's former chief executive J Arthur Brown finally received a date for September 2010 when he will face charges involving the companies Fundi and Infinity. Brown faces embezzlement charges in three separate cases. Brown is accused of taking R24.7-million.

What you didn't know: In 2004, during a Cape High Court sitting, it came to light that J Arthur Brown didn't skimp on spending money on himself. The court heard that he spent R82 555 on gym equipment for himself; paid R109 208 as a deposit on a plot of land; installed motor vehicle accessories that cost R34 705; bought a projector for R14 919; spent R70 079 at Cape Wire; and charged R15 095 to an American Express card for a stay at The Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong.

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