MAN ACCUSED OF STEALING OVER R9 MILLION TO APPLY FOR BAIL
The Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court adjourned the case against Evan Mutale (44), to 19 April 2023, for a formal bail application and for his case to be transferred to the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. He is facing 21 charges of fraud and three alternative charges of money laundering. His court appearance comes after his arrest by the SAPS’ Provincial Commercial Crime Unit on 12 April 2023, in Rustenberg. He was subsequently charged with stealing over R 5 million from Jaira Constructions and Projects, where was employed as an accountant, responsible for managing accounts, payroll, and loading payments.
It is alleged that between September 2019 and November 2020, Mutale fraudulently transferred money into an account belonging to an individual who has no links to the company but is known to him. These transactions were allegedly done under the pretense of paying a service provider for services rendered to the company. In the process, he deceived his supervisor to make final authorisations for money to be transferred into his accomplice’s bank account.
Investigations revealed that some of this money was later transferred to his bank account, as such constituted for the state to charge him with money laundering. Police are not ruling out the possibility of making more arrests. Mutale will remain in police custody until the next court appearance and the state intends to oppose his bail application.
The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr. Rachel Makhari together with the North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena, expressed their gratitude for the productive collaboration between the prosecution team led by Adv Bongani Chauke and Brigadier Pharasa Ncube from the SAPS.
