Founder of Tariomix (Pty) Ltd and diamond mogul Louis Liebenberg has slammed the weaponisation of the country’s liquidators, whom he accused of targeting him and his companies by unlawfully liquidating his company.

The Star reports in March, the North West High Court (Mahikeng) ordered a curator be appointed by SARS to oversee the process after it dismissed a bid by Liebenberg to overturn its provisional liquidation.

This was followed by a raid on one of Liebenberg’s business premises in Kempton Park.

Liebenberg decried this act, saying it was uncalled for as the assets taken belonged to another company and not Tariomix.

‘It was uncalled for as the Sheriff seized office items belonging to a different company not currently under liquidation,’ he said.

Liebenberg added Tariomix has been met with controversy due to allegations of underhanded tactics employed by the appointed liquidators. He singled out Vaughn Victor, the primary liquidator.

According to Liebenberg, Victor is alleged to have submitted false information to judges during ex parte applications, effectively curbing the opportunity for opposing counsel to respond appropriately.

‘This manipulation of legal procedures not only tarnishes the court’s integrity but also obstructs the fair resolution of the liquidation process,’ Liebenberg said.

‘The role of the retired magistrate overseeing this case has also come under fire. The magistrate has allegedly issued questionable orders, one of which involved issuing multiple subpoenas to mobile network providers. These subpoenas sought records of individuals not directly linked to the company, seemingly in an attempt to track their movements. This overstep raises privacy concerns and questions about the legitimate extent of a liquidator’s authority,’ added Liebenberg.

However, Victor denied having weaponised the liquidation process of Tariomix, saying he was duly appointed to oversee the process.

Full report in The Star