After a Two-Year Investigation, the President of South Africa Was Cleared in a $580K Sofa Cash Case

Prosecutors announced Thursday that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa would not be charged with any crimes in connection with a cash scam that was concealed for more than two years and prompted a special police unit’s probe. In June 2022, a former national security head filed a criminal complaint against Ramaphosa, alleging that he had committed bribery, abduction, and other offences in connection with the theft of $580,000 worth of U.S. currency that had been hidden in a couch at the president’s estate.

Arthur Fraser, the former head of security, claimed that Ramaphosa had been hiding the money in furniture at his ranch in order to avoid South Africa’s foreign exchange regulations when it was taken. Fraser claimed in the affidavit submitted to police that Ramaphosa attempted to conceal the theft by having members of his presidential protection team find the thieves, abduct them, and then pay them to stay silent about the money’s presence.

Prior to Fraser’s accusations, the theft, which took place at Ramaphosa’s game farm in rural northern South Africa in early 2020, had gone unreported. It plunged Ramaphosa’s presidency into disarray ahead of a pivotal party leadership ballot and forced him to acknowledge that the crime had occurred. While the criminal probe was going on, he managed to survive the scandal and was reelected as South Africa’s leader this June. Ramaphosa, 71, was also charged with tax evasion, money laundering, and foreign exchange violations.