FRAUDSTER SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IMPRISONMENT WHILST HIS ACCOMPLICE ABSCONDED AFTER GRANTED BAIL
MPUMALANGA: Hawks Middelburg based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation secured a two years imprisonment sentence against a 38 year old undocumented Mozambican national for fraudulent activities.
The convict, Reginaldo Alberto Nuvunga, was arrested alongside his countryman Kenneth Maoto on 22 January 2021 after they appeared before Mbibane Magistrate’s Court for the Vaalbank case.
Investigation revealed that the two used cloned bank cards to purchase diesel and refilled their browser.
The Hawks Middleburg Serious Commercial Crime Investigation acted on information received from the bank’s investigation team on the Emalahleni fraud.
Investigation led the Hawks team to the two suspects who were already attending court in Mbibane.
Maoto was granted bail, and Nuvunga was remanded in custody until he was sentenced on Monday, 14 July 2025.
Nuvunga was sentenced to two years imprisonment, of which one year is suspended for five years on condition that he is not found guilty of the similar offence. The court further ruled that after serving his time in prison, Nuvunga must be deported to his country of origin. The browser was also seized.
A warrant of arrest has since been issued against Maoto. Anyone who might have information about Maoto’s whereabouts may please contact the investigating officer Captain Jacobus Lombard on 082 521 3225. All received information will be treated as confidential, and callers may opt to remain anonymous.
The Mpumalanga Acting Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Brigadier Danie Hall, requested the general public and companies to be extra cautious when using their bank cards as card cloning can cause significant financial losses.
