Thankiso Joseph Motaung (30) was sentenced to 12 years’ direct imprisonment after he was convicted for 366 charges, including fraud and theft.
Some of the charges he was convicted for are conspiracy to commit an offence, possession of listed equipment, unlawful use of a computer programme, and the contravention of the Interception of Communication and Provision of Communication-related Information Act and the Counterfeit Goods Act.
The sentencing took place at the Leslie Regional Court on May 8.
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According to the Mpumalanga Hawks’ spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, in April 2016, the Hawks followed up on information regarding a person who was using a skimming device at the Leandra off-ramp toll gate on the N17 in Leslie.
“The team, with private investigators from Absa and FNB, conducted a preliminary investigation at the toll gate. They searched the operation booths and a skimming device was found in one of them, which led to Motaung’s arrest.”
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Sekgotodi said Motaung had been linked to other cases related to fraud and theft in Leslie, Secunda and Mbombela in April 2016 and in Hazyview in May 2016.
