Standard Bank denies retired prof’s torture, fraud claims in viral videos

Standard Bank has hit back against allegations of fraud, intimidation and torture linked to a disputed luxury vehicle payment.

The claims were made by retired professor Anele Mngadi Hammond in a series of social media videos detailing her harrowing legal battle with the financial institution.

The conflict allegedly began when Hammond attempted to buy a car through her foundation. After a dealership informed her they could not accept an international payment, she approached Standard Bank to finance the car.

According to Hammond, the trouble started in April 2015, shortly after she collected the vehicle. She claimed the bank began deducting double the agreed-upon instalments for the first three months. When she contacted the bank to rectify the error, she alleges they claimed to have no record of her or her foundation, despite the vehicle being registered in the foundation’s name.

In response to the dispute with the bank, Hammond stopped the automated payments and opened a separate account, where she deposited the contested amounts each month to ensure the funds were available once the dispute was resolved.

The situation escalated three months later when the bank sent a letter to Hammond’s daughter regarding missed payments and initiated court proceedings to repossess the car.

Hammond claims that when she finally received the instalment sale agreement — a document she had requested for months — it was entirely different from the one she signed. She cited several discrepancies, alleging:

• The contract originated from a dealership she never visited.
• The contracting party, residential address and employer listed were all incorrect or non-existent.
• The purchase price was highly inflated.
• Her signature had been forged.

Despite bringing these issues to the bank’s attention, Hammond alleges, they refused to investigate. She further accused the bank of unlawfully obtaining a fraudulent default judgment from an acting judge while the matter was still being litigated.

Hammond detailed a series of terrifying encounters, starting with an early-morning visit from the sheriff and police to seize the vehicle. She claims she refused to release the car and later hired a private investigator who suggested she was being targeted by a “syndicate” involving senior bank officials, law enforcement and auctioneers.

The situation escalated and allegedly turned violent as court dates approached.

Hammond claims she was attacked in her home by nine armed men who threatened her with an AK-47, demanding she drop the fraud case.

She claimed she and her daughter were tied up and beaten for four hours. The individuals allegedly demanded a disc containing “Standard Bank footage” and threatened to rape her daughter before fleeing with documents from her safe.

In another incident, Hammond claims her daughter was poisoned at a hotel the night before a major court hearing. “The bank would use any means to try to stop me from appearing in court,” Hammond said.

In a statement released on Thursday, Standard Bank categorically denied the allegations, labelling the claims of criminal activity as “false and baseless”.

Kabelo Makete, head of personal and private banking, said the bank followed standard collection processes.

“In this case, and after lengthy engagements, Hammond voluntarily agreed to settle the debt. Hammond paid the agreed amount, and Standard Bank therefore did not ultimately repossess the vehicle,” Makete said.

The bank denied any involvement in acts of violence or intimidation.

“At no point did Standard Bank or its representatives perform any acts of violence or intimidation towards Hammond or any of her family members.”

The institution criticised Hammond for taking the matter to social media, calling her actions “regrettable and irresponsible”.

The bank also clarified that it never conceded to fraud in court, noting that such allegations were not present in the 2020 summons filed by Hammond’s legal team.

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