Trio who tried to steal R500m from Royal Bafokeng get 15 years

Would be fraudsters – who tried to steal R500 million from Royal Bafokeng Holdings – have received lengthy jail terms, according to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks). 

In a statement, the Hawks said Goci Nwabisa (31), Tshepo Daniel Sehlapelo (29) and Lifty Nkabe Makalela (43) were on Friday convicted by the Mokopane Regional Court following their arrest in July 2018.

“The convicts approached an Absa bank official in Burgersfort posing as signatories of Royal Bafokeng Holdings.

“They presented fraudulent identity document and asked the bank employee to assist in opening an account to transfer R500 million from Royal Bafokeng Holdings into the new account.

“The official became suspicious, alerted the authorities and Nwabisa, Sehlapelo and Aaron Madanda (42) were arrested immediately after the Hawks Serious Commercial Investigation were requested to assist.”

While investigating the attempted fraud, the Hawks discovered that there was a fourth suspect, Makalela. They believed him to be the mastermind behind the attempted fraud and he was later arrested.

“Nwabisa, Sehlapelo, and Makalela were granted bail after appearing several times in the Praktiseer Magistrate’s Court except for Madanda who is currently serving a jail term for another similar but unrelated fraud that he had committed,” the Hawks said.

Nwabisa, Sehlapelo and Makalela were each sentenced to 15 years direct imprisonment for fraud. Nwabisa and Sehlapelo were also sentenced to another two years direct imprisonment for contravention of Section 18 (1) of the Identification Act. They were further declared unfit to possess a firearm. The sentences are to run concurrently.

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