Africa-Press – South-Africa. A dead man tells no tales, but paper trails in his name can speak volumes on his behalf.
That much seems to be true in a case the Hawks are investigating in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, in which a police officer was arrested.
The officer was among nine people, aged 35 to 48, who were arrested this week in connection with the theft of more than R36 million from a dead man.
They were arrested during a Hawks takedown operation, dubbed “Tit for Tat”, which started on Monday, and join four others who were arrested previously in connection with the allegations.
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Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Matimba Maluleke, said: “The first accused person to be arrested in this case was the First National Bank (FNB) employee based in Makhado, Thabiso Matenda, 29.
He added:
“The deceased, a foreign national businessman who was based in South Africa, reportedly died in a fatal vehicle accident on 24 April 2022. The stolen money was transferred into the new different bank accounts that were created, and the money was squandered.”
Then, three others were arrested: Moses Banda, 48, who is believed to be the mastermind, as well as Johannesburg couple, Nomaphelo Sethi, 28, and Rody Martial Nzeya, 43.
The nine people who were arrested this week will join them in the dock.
News24 previously reported that the couple was allegedly given R6 million. They were arrested in Johannesburg in July when they fought over the money after they had reportedly been asked to give it back.
“When the girlfriend went to the police in Johannesburg to open a case of assault against her boyfriend, the police discovered that the money they were fighting for was actually stolen and Limpopo Hawks were investigating the matter,” Maluleke said.
The provincial head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General Gopz Govender, said: “We are going to arrest all those who are involved in this case. We believe that all the accused will be convicted and given harsh sentences.”
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