Israeli national and former SA resident on the run from Bermuda police

TALI FEINBERG

“Mr Abraham is an Israeli national,” says Robin Simmons of the Bermuda Police Service. “We are aware that he has lived in South Africa, Israel, and the United Kingdom, as well as Bermuda. Civil proceedings have been taken out against Mr Abraham in the United States (New York), UK (London), Bermuda, and South Africa (Case Number 8227/18 High Court of South Africa, Western Cape Division, Cape Town).”

“The allegations are that while employed as chief financial officer (CFO) at Hiscox [Services] in Bermuda, Abraham falsified invoices which allowed him to use company funds to purchase a number of expensive wristwatches for himself. The loss to the company is about $1.8 million (R25.6 million).

“A complaint was made to the Bermuda Police Service, and a file of evidence submitted to the department of public prosecutions,” Simmons says. “Information about the allegations was then laid before the criminal court in Bermuda, and a warrant issued for Abraham’s arrest, which has been circulated to colleagues internationally via Interpol.”

However Abraham fled the country before he could be arrested, he says. “We are unaware of Abraham’s current location, and are considering all options with a view to tracing his whereabouts.

Abraham was relieved of his job as CFO of Hiscox Services, the service company that manages expenses for Bermuda legal entities for the Hiscox Group, on 27 April this year, Hiscox said in its US court application.

The company said Abraham had left Bermuda, and was believed to have travelled to London, South Africa, and then Israel in early May.

According to an affidavit filed in the Bermuda Supreme Court by Marc Wetherhill, Hiscox’s group company secretary, Abraham was employed in Bermuda on a work permit issued “pursuant to a Polish passport”, and he holds South African and Israeli passports.

The following charges have been approved: eight counts of obtaining a money transfer by deception; nine counts of false accounting; one count of attempting to obtain a money transfer by deception; and one count of money laundering.

“Mr Abraham is believed to have had contacts in the Newlands area of Cape Town. If located, the Bermuda authorities would seek his detention and extradition to face justice in Bermuda. Any information regarding Mr Abraham’s whereabouts would be gratefully received.”

Anyone with information can contact Detective Constable Jeff Blair or Special Constable Andrew Bartlett at the Bermuda Police Service specialist investigations department (financial crime) on (441) 295 0011.