Standard Bank has issued a rebuttal against Dr Anele Mngadi Hammond's serious allegations of fraud and intimidation related to a historic vehicle finance dispute.
Image: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers
Standard Bank has issued a rebuttal against social media allegations made by Dr Anele Mngadi Hammond, labelling her claims of criminal conduct and impropriety regarding a historic vehicle finance dispute as "false and baseless."
The banking giant's response follows a series of videos published by Dr Hammond on TikTok, that has gained widespread attention across social media platforms, concerning a 2018 agreement to purchase a Ferrari. In these videos, Hammond makes serious allegations including that the bank and its representatives had allegedly engaged in fraud, violence, and intimidation. These accusations, according to Standard Bank, are “false and baseless”.
In their response, Kabelo Makeke, Head of Personal and Private Banking at Standard Bank South Africa, said that the matter was a standard collection process. According to Makeke, Hammond voluntarily agreed to settle the debt following extensive discussions.
"Dr Hammond paid the agreed amount, and Standard Bank therefore did not ultimately repossess the vehicle," Makeke stated, explicitly denying any acts of violence against Hammond or her family.
In her videos, Hammond claims the dispute began when she noticed the bank was debiting nearly double the agreed instalment for the luxury vehicle. She alleges that when she requested the original sale agreement, the bank provided a "fraudulent" document containing forged signatures, inflated prices, and incorrect vehicle details.
Beyond financial disputes, Hammond’s allegations include claims of extreme physical intimidation. She alleges that nine men once invaded her home and assaulted her to force a retraction of her fraud case, and further claims her daughter was poisoned the day before a scheduled court appearance.
Standard Bank said there was a significant gap between the 2018 settlement and Hammond’s current social media campaign. It said records show that Hammond, her daughter, and a Trust issued a summons against Standard Bank and CEO Sim Tshabalala in 2020, more than 21 months after the matter was settled.
However, the bank notes that in the five years since its defence to the matter was filed, Hammond has taken no steps to progress the legal claim. Furthermore, the bank alleges that the specific claims of fraud and criminal activity being spread online were notably absent from the original 2020 court documents.
"The reason for this is obvious," the bank said in a statement. "If there was any truth to the allegations she is now levelling, they would have been made at the time the summons was delivered."
The bank further denies that it conceded in court that a fraud had been perpetrated.
Standard Bank added that while they respect the right to free expression, the publication of "malicious falsehoods" crosses a line that necessitates a vigorous defence of their reputation.
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