Luthando Richmond Mbinda (60), and expelled National President of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) appeared briefly today in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on charges of fraud and theft to the tune of R244 million.
He handed himself over to the offices of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Bellville prior to his court appearance.
Mbinda is the third suspect arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team. His alleged accomplices, Gcobani Katiya (53) and Ramarumo Edward Mfulane (35) were arrested and appeared in the same court on 09 April 2021, later released on warning.
It is alleged that on 13 May 2017, after Mbinda was expelled from the party, he along with Katiya and Mfulane, allegedly went to Nedbank Durbanville and opened three (3) bank accounts in the name of PAC.
Thereafter the accused allegedly informed the Finance Department of Parliament that funds owed to the PAC be transferred to the Nedbank account and not the existing ABSA account on record for the party at Parliament.
Parliament funds to the amount of R1 448 053-51 million were then transferred to the accounts and the monies were allegedly withdrawn by the accused.
On 13 March 2019, Mbinda again went to First National Bank (FNB) to open other accounts in the name of LR Mbinda trading as Azania, and again instructed the Finance department in parliament to transfer funds owed to the party to the FNB accounts. The total amount received in the FNB accounts from Parliament was R995 669-50.
Consequently, the PAC suffered an R244 million loss as a result of the fraudulent actions by the three (3) accused. The accused are facing charges of fraud, theft, and Contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA). They are expected to appear in the same court on 19 May 2021.