A man arrested for submitting a fake matric certificate for a job as a policeman was sentenced at the Kimberley Magistrate's Court in the Northern Cape.
Keobakile Riet, 28, submitted a fraudulent matric certificate during the 2021/2022 South African Police Service recruitment drive.
"Thorough investigation was done by the SAPS (SA Police Service) Provincial Recruitment office in conjunction with the SAPS Provincial Anti-Corruption unit which led to the apprehension and arrest of the suspect," said Northern Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Kock.
Riet was found guilty and sentenced to a R1,000 fine or six months imprisonment wholly suspended for three years
He was charged with fraud.
"The SAPS Management commended the provincial SAPS recruitment office personnel for their vigilance and alertness and the Anti-corruption unit for their meticulous investigation that led to this sentence," Kock said.
In a separate case, the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigations known as the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal said Patrick Stapleton, 67, was sentenced to 10 years direct imprisonment for 147 counts of fraud.
Hawks spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Simphiwe Mhlongo said during the period 2010 to 2014 Stapleton and his accomplices were operating two companies known as Dynamic Group CC and GPN Consulting.
These companies operated as an investment scheme which was purported to be involved in the research and development of an off-road mining motor vehicle.
"An amount of R11,510,000.00 was deposited by different investors in their business account.
Investors were promised lucrative returns over a period of time and that never happened. A case of fraud was then reported at Hillcrest police station and the case docket was allocated to Hawks members from Durban Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for thorough investigation," Mhlongo said.
"Stapleton together with his accomplices were arrested and charged for fraud in 2017. They were released on bail and one of his accomplice Michael Luke Stapleton, 42, pleaded guilty on 17 April 2019 and was sentenced to five years direct imprisonment, whereas the other accomplice was acquitted."
Stapleton was found guilty on June 15 in 2022. He was sentenced on Thursday.
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