NPA freezes R6.2 million linked to alleged illegal MultiChoice streaming operation

The National Prosecuting Authority's (NPA) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) has obtained a High Court preservation order freezing more than R6.2 million allegedly linked to an illegal live-streaming operation accused of distributing copyrighted MultiChoice content without authorisation.

The preservation order was granted by the Eastern Cape Division of the High Court in Gqeberha on August 4 against Damian Grundlingh, a resident of Despatch, in terms of Section 38 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA). The order applies to funds held in his bank account.

According to the NPA, the AFU argued that the money constitutes the proceeds of unlawful activities, including alleged fraud and cybercrime.

Court papers allege that Grundlingh has been operating an illegal live-streaming service since at least October 2024 by unlawfully accessing and distributing MultiChoice's copyrighted content.

Investigators allege that he resold access to the pirated content by supplying customers with access codes in exchange for monthly subscription fees of about R160.

The NPA said that between January 2025 and April 2026, investigators identified approximately 104,667 MultiChoice-related transactions involving Grundlingh and his customers.

At this stage, Grundlingh has not been arrested or charged, with the criminal investigation still under way. He is being investigated for possible contraventions of the Cybercrimes Act and the Copyright Act.

The NPA said the preservation order was granted without prior notice to Grundlingh, a process permitted under POCA. The legislation allows the National Director of Public Prosecutions to apply to the High Court to preserve assets suspected to be the proceeds of unlawful activities, even before criminal charges are instituted.

The matter forms part of South Africa's non-conviction-based asset recovery framework, which enables authorities to preserve and potentially recover assets linked to suspected criminal activity independently of a criminal prosecution.

The preservation order and supporting court application will now be served on Grundlingh. If he does not oppose the application, the National Director of Public Prosecutions may, within 90 days of publication of the order in the Government Gazette, apply for a final forfeiture order.

Should the forfeiture application succeed, the preserved funds will be paid into the Criminal Assets Recovery Account (CARA), which finances law enforcement initiatives and crime-fighting programmes.

Eastern Cape Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Samkelo Mtwana said the order demonstrates the NPA's commitment to targeting the financial benefits of crime.

"The preservation of these funds demonstrates that the NPA will not only pursue those suspected of engaging in unlawful activities but will also target the proceeds generated from such conduct. The alleged large-scale piracy operation highlights the significant financial impact that cyber-enabled and intellectual property-related offences can have. Through the AFU, we will continue to use every lawful means available to deprive suspected offenders of the benefits of their unlawful activities," said Mtwana.

The preservation order followed a joint investigation involving the NPA's Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the Financial Intelligence Centre and investigators from MultiChoice.

The NPA said it remains committed to using asset forfeiture legislation to ensure criminals do not benefit financially from unlawful activities, reiterating that "crime should not pay".