The accused, Mojalefa Tseki (30), Thanki Dickson Motseki (29), and Ernest Pule Chambisso (36) appeared before the Bloemfontein High Court today Friday 22 October 2021 where they were convicted and sentenced as charged for murder and robbery.
Their sentences originate from an incident that took place on Monday 24 September 2018 where the deceased, Karl Reich was kidnapped from his residence in Welkom and robbed of his two vehicles. He was found murdered the following day on Tuesday 25 September 2018 under a bridge in a water tunnel in Pretoria. The matter was then handed over to Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team based in Bloemfontein for further investigation culminating in the conviction of the accused.
The court sentenced the accused as follows:
Motseki was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and an additional fifteen (15) years direct imprisonment for robbery with aggravated circumstances.
Both Tseki and Chambisso were sentenced to twenty-five (25) years direct imprisonment for murder and additional twelve (12) years direct imprisonment robbery with aggravated circumstances. All the sentences will run concurrently.
The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in Free State Major General Kubandran Moodley welcomed the sentence and commended the outstanding work by the investigator which led to the conviction of the accused.