TWO IN THE DOCK FOR OVER R3 MILLION FRAUD
PRETORIA: Two suspects, aged 26 and 22 years old are expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrates court on the 10 July 2025 following their arrest in Mfuleni and Strand respectively by the Serious Commercial Crimes Investigation’s 419 scam Task Team of the Hawks, yesterday 08 July 2025 in the Western Cape.
The suspects’ arrest emanate from an incident reported in August 2024 at Lyttelton police station where it was alleged that the suspects fraudulently amassed over R3 million from the complainant.
The one suspect is reported to have met with the complainant online via Facebook wherein their conversations migrated to WhatsApp. During these WhatsApp conversation, suspect spun a tale to the complainant that his son is sick and forwarded the complainant login details and passwords of his banking details. He then instructing the complainant to log in into his bank account and transfer money into the complainant’s account. The complainant was unable to do the transfer prompting the suspect to ask the complainant to borrow him few thousand dollars to pay for his son’s medical bills in the meantime. The complainant obliged the suspect’s requests until over R 3 415 000.00 (three million four hundred and fifteen thousand) was deposited in two months. The suspect then redistributed the money to his accomplices and citing to the complainant that they will reimbursed once the son’s bills were paid which never happened.
The Task Team has previously arrested three other individuals in relation to the same case. Mr Gabriel Okoli, a Nigerian national was traced and arrested in October 2024, at Gordon’s Bay, Mr Motsamai was arrested in March 2025 at Orange Farm, and Mr Mnguni was arrested in June 2025 in Soweto bringing the number of arrests to five. Mnguni is appearing again today in the Pretoria Magistrates court after his last appearance was postponed in order for him to access Legal Aid. All three accused are out on bail.
The two suspects will appear in the Bellville Magistrate Court today, 10 July 2025 answering to charges of fraud and money laundering. More arrests are expected.
