Alleged diamond smuggler and fraud accused Louis Liebenberg has made startling revelations during his trial at the Johannesburg High Court, where he faces charges linked to a R4 billion diamond investment scam. Testifying, Liebenberg claimed to have paid advocate Dali Mpofu R10 million on behalf of former President Jacob Zuma. He also asserted that he gave expensive diamonds to the wife of Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
Liebenberg is the alleged mastermind behind a complex scheme that defrauded thousands of investors through a company called Tariomix (also known as Forever Diamonds), which purportedly traded in polished diamonds via a cashless platform called AE Switch. Investors were lured with promises of high returns, but many never received their money, sparking police investigations that led to the arrest of Liebenberg, his wife Desiree, and seven others on multiple counts, including fraud, money laundering, racketeering, and theft.
Deputy President Mashatile’s office confirmed that his wife received an unsolicited diamond from Liebenberg, which she is now set to return due to the serious allegations against him. Meanwhile, Liebenberg’s payments to Zuma’s legal fees have been partially verified, with records showing a figure of R3.2 million paid to Zuma’s legal team.
The trial, ongoing since their arrest in 2024, has seen delays but is scheduled to proceed with testimony and further investigation. Liebenberg and co-accused face charges spanning years of this multi-billion rand fraud, which also involved the purchase of assets like mines and luxury vehicles, funded by the illicit scheme proceeds. The full extent of the alleged misappropriations and political connections remains under court scrutiny.