By Everson Luhanga
According to his family, Robin Smith died in 1999 in a grisly car accident in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni in Gauteng. But on Wednesday, 23 years after he met his end, the Hawks found Smith alive and well in Western Cape.
At the time of his supposed death, Alice Abigail Boschoff cashed in R1.7 million on her husband’s life insurance claim.
With that hefty payout, she was able to move first to KwaZulu-Natal before settling in Knysna, near George in the Western Cape.
For over 20 years the apparent widow lived with her new spouse, a man who went by “Chris Boshoff”, a 67-year-old who runs a car dealership business called Knysna Auto Repairs at the Knysna CBD.
Alice, now 59, even found a role at the company, working as an administrator for it.
Of course, Chris was not really who he said he was.
Robin Smith adopted the new alias after he and Alice plotted and faked his death, allegedly for the R1.7 million payout from Old Mutual Insurance.
The con seemed to have paid off for the couple. But in 2020, Old Mutual received a tipoff, and thereafter an investigation was launched which would eventually uncover their truth.
Robin and Alice were arrested by the Hawks on Wednesday for fraud, 23 years after Robin’s “death”.
Hawks spokesperson Captain Lloyd Ramohva confirmed their arrest.
He said the couple appeared in the Knysna Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
“The couple quietly left Gauteng for KwaZulu-Natal after receiving the windfall. They eventually settled in the Western Cape, Knysna area also known as the Garden Route which is a tourist destination,” said Captain Romohva.
Captain Ramohva said in 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.
“The team tirelessly traced the couple to a hideout in Knysna leading to their arrest on Tuesday, 8 November 2022 on a court order.”
He said upon searching their place, two unlicensed firearms were recovered. A case of unlawful possession of firearms has now been included in his initial fraud charges.
Captain Ramohva said the couple will be transferred to a Gauteng court to face the initial charge of fraud next week.
The couple have been remanded in police custody.
Pictured above: Robin SmithSource: supplied
