The Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya expressed his enchantment and lauded the investigating team for ensuring that the Gqeberha New Law court convicted and sentenced Mziwakhe Khumalo (33) a former bank employee on 08 August 2024 for fraud, money laundering and contravention of electronic communication transaction Act 25 of 2002.
His sentencing came after he was arrested by the Gqeberha Serious Commercial Investigation of the Hawks on 29 September 2021, appeared on the same day of his arrest and was released on bail. His co-accused Lwando Dingiswayo is currently serving his sentence.
During the period between 2017 and 2018, Khumalo and Dingiswayo unlawfully and intentionally accessed then changed the contact information of the victim’s bank account who was in Germany during the period without his authorization. The accused further changed the existing signing authority on the account and made new signing authority to Dingiswayo.
Subsequently, the accused opened a fraudulent cheque account where he started to make transfers from the victim’s investment account to the fraudulent account which prejudiced the victim cash to the amount of R400 000.
During the said period, the accused further attempted to transfer other funds but in vain. The victim in these failed attempts was nearly prejudiced cash to an amount of over R4.8 million. During the incident, the victim was in Germany.
Khumalo made numerous court appearances until his sentencing by the Gqeberha New Law court on 8 August 2024. For one count of fraud, Khumalo was given 15 years’ direct imprisonment sentence, for one count of money laundering, he was given six years’ direct imprisonment sentence and for one count of contravention of electronic communication and transaction Act 25 of 2002, he was given one year direct imprisonment sentence. In addition, all sentences will run concurrently. Therefore, Khumalo will serve 15 years’ direct imprisonment.
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