A Mpumalanga man who has been on the run for 10 years for alleged R14.7 million fraud has finally been arrested, in the Western Cape.
He is expected to appear in the Strand Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The 55-year-old man was being sought by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks) in Mpumalanga for defrauding Eskom.
The Western Cape spokesperson for the Hawks, Lieutenant Colonel Siyabulela Vukubi said an operation was conducted to apprehend the suspect.
“On Thursday, September 7, 2023, a multi-disciplinary team that consisted of the Hawks' South African Narcotics Enforcement Bureau, Cape Town National Intervention Unit, and the Provincial Tracking Team conducted an operation in Gordons Bay where a 55-year-old suspect who was long sought by Mpumalanga Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation was arrested,” Vukubi said.
It is alleged in April 2013, the man submitted invoices to Eskom for the delivery of pumps which were never delivered.
“His other co-accused were arrested and are out on bail. The court has since issued a warrant of arrest for the suspect who has evaded justice for 10 years until his eventual arrest.
“He is expected to appear in transit at Strand Magistrate’s Court on September 8, 2023, thereafter transferred to Mpumalanga,” Vukubi said.
The suspect has four other co-accused.
The latest suspect arrested in the fraud case was Maria Cantelo, 53, who was arrested in May.
Cantelo, a Portuguese national, was released on R100,000 bail, her passport had to be handed in and she is not allowed to leave the jurisdiction of Mpumalanga.
The other accused, Thandeka Innocentia Nkosi, 42, Godfrey Jason Jones, 46, and Rabela Sarah Jones, 71, were also granted bail.
Nkosi and Jones were released on R100,000 bail, while Jones was released on R30,000 bail due to a health condition.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
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