- A criminal fraud complaint worth more than R22 million has been registered against ticket supplier Adriaan Pieterse
- The complaint was lodged after customers were left without tickets at events including the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA World Cup
- Pieterse, through his lawyer, disputes the claim and says refunds were made where tickets were not supplied
A criminal fraud case exceeding R22 million has been registered against ticket supplier Adriaan Pieterse, following allegations that customers were left without tickets at several major sporting events.
The complaint was filed by travel and ticket company SA Leisure Connexion CC and its owner, Adelbert Retief. Their attorney, Colin Isherwood, confirmed to News24 on Tuesday that the case was registered the previous day. Police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Frederick van Wyk confirmed a fraud case is under investigation. No arrests have been made.
What the criminal complaint alleges
Isherwood said the complaint is built on a reconciliation of payments, bank statements, and proofs of payment. He stated that approximately R11 million of the total relates to UEFA Champions League tickets, with around R7.88 million tied to the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry Test. He also alleged that fans were seated at Bafana Bafana's opening FIFA World Cup match in Mexico without having received valid tickets.
The criminal complaint is separate from a civil demand issued last month. A letter dated 18 September, sent by Jurgens Bekker Attorneys on behalf of SA Leisure Connexion and Retief, demanded nearly R48.5 million.
The letter covers a range of events, including the 2025 Springboks v Australia Test, the 2026 Masters at Augusta, the FIFA World Cup, the Nations Cup rugby, the Springboks' Tests against France and Ireland, and Wimbledon, for which £787,000 (approximately R17 million) is claimed. Tickets valued at R3,707,925 were noted as received and deducted from the total.
The attorneys had warned that failure to pay by 25 September could result in criminal complaints for alleged theft and fraud, civil proceedings, and referrals to the National Consumer Commission and SA Rugby. That deadline passed without resolution.
Isherwood said the civil figure is higher in part because Retief incurred additional costs sourcing replacement tickets so that customers would not miss events they had already paid for.
Pieterse disputes the claims
Through his attorney Andrew Joyce, Pieterse strongly denied any wrongdoing. Joyce argued that tickets were either delivered directly to Retief or to third parties on his instructions, and that refunds were issued where delivery did not occur. He maintained that a proper reconciliation of transactions shows money is owed to Pieterse, not Retief, and that no further refund is due.
Joyce also noted that Pieterse had no direct contractual relationship with Retief's customers, that orders were placed verbally, and that payment was generally expected before tickets were supplied. He said Retief allegedly indicated he would only pay after seeing the tickets, which Joyce described as a departure from the standard arrangement.
Isherwood rejected the suggestion that his clients failed to pay, calling the allegation "complete and utter rubbish" and saying Retief paid in full, particularly for the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry event.
The dispute follows a broader ticketing controversy surrounding the sold-out Springboks v All Blacks Test at DHL Stadium in Cape Town in August, where numerous supporters arrived without tickets after purchasing packages through travel agencies and intermediaries.
SA Rugby denied responsibility, stating that agencies sold tickets they had not secured and had no access to allocations through SA Rugby's ticketing system.
Source: Briefly News