Four alleged fraudsters aged between 34 and 55 were caught attempting to defraud a business account of twelve million rand inside a bank in Tubatse Crossing Mall on Thursday.
Following a tip-off, the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team pounced on the suspects inside the bank, whilst they were being served by a consultant whom they had apparently offered a bribe to assist them to access the funds from a business account they provided.
It is alleged that the plot was for the consultant to make an immediate transfer of a substantial amount into the suspects’ several accounts, this was to be repeated on a weekly basis until the said account was drained and for her efforts the consultant was reportedly promised a significant amount of money per transaction.
The consultant cooperatively played along after having alerted the manager and the suspects were arrested whilst they were still submitting their account details. All four are expected to appear at the Praktiseer Magistrate’s Court on Friday to face charges of fraud.
Meanwhile this incident marks the second time the same bank was targeted in a similar manner. Last year, between July and August 2018, Goci Nwabisa (29), Tshepo Daniel Setlhapelo (28), Aaron Madanda (40), and Lifty Nkabe Makalela (42), were arrested by the Hawks after they allegedly attempted to defraud over R100 million from Royal Bafokeng Trust account in the same branch.
Nwabisa, Setlhapelo and Makalela were granted R300 bail and they will appear at Mokopane Regional Court on 28 June 2019 for sentencing while Madanda is still on trial