Pretoria – The Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has released 21-year-old Thandaza Lubisi on R1 500 bail after she was arrested for alleged fraud.
Limpopo spokesperson for the Hawks, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa said the 21-year-old was arrested by the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation unit assisted by specialised investigators representing Wesbank.
“In December 2022, the accused allegedly visited a vehicle dealership in Tzaneen and requested to be assisted with an application for vehicle finance on a Hyundai Atos,” Mmuroa said.
“The application was approved, and consequently she collected a vehicle. The bank conducted forensic audits which revealed that the documents provided to apply for vehicle finance application were fraudulent.”
A case of fraud was opened at Tzaneen police station and it was assigned to the Hawks for investigation.
After conducting a thorough investigation, Mmuroa said the young woman was traced and arrested.
When she appeared in the Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, on Tuesday, Lubisi was released on R1 500 bail and her case was postponed to February 6 for further investigation.
Last year, provincial head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Major-General Ebrahim Kadwa welcomed the six-year jail term handed down to convicted fraudster, Tebogo Petrus Selepe, 40, by the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court.
Hawks spokesperson, Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said Selepe submitted fraudulent payslips and bank statements before scamming two dealerships in Silverton, Pretoria.
“The Soshanguve man was arrested by the Pretoria-based (Hawks) serious commercial crime investigation after two car dealerships in Silverton lodged a criminal complaint of a man who submitted fraudulent payslips and bank statements when applying for vehicle finance in February 2019,” Mulamu said.
“Further investigation revealed that Selepe was out of reach and failed to pay monthly instalments on both vehicles, a Ford Ranger and Kia Cerato worth approximately R800 000, collectively,” she said.
A warrant of arrest for Selepe was issued, and he was found at his home in Soshanguve, north of Pretoria.
IOL