NELSPRUIT – Seven suspects in a theft case involving R4.1 million, appeared in court. The accused appeared in the Nelspruit District Court on Friday.
Mr Themba Mafuyeka (28), Mr Evans Thwala, Mr Tsepho Tsela (29), Mr Phumlani Lekhuleni (29), Mr Happy Mashego (33), Ms Mzamo Rose Thwala (30) and Mr Given Mafuyeka (30) appeared on charges of theft.
Magistrate Christa du Plessis postponed the bail application until Monday.
This after they were arrested by a joint operation of the SAPS War Room tracking team together with the Absa Barclays Africa Security Division of Serious and Violent Crime Investigation and Information.
According to Col Leonard Hlathi, Mafuyeka, who was employed by the bank as a custodian was apparently the mastermind behind the theft.
He apparently colluded with the bank’s contracted cleaner by disregarding the prescripts and regulations for loading money into the machines.
Absa management grew increasingly suspicious when most of the ATMs in the CBD ran out of money on March 29.
Initial investigations by the security personnel led to one of their custodians acting suspiciously during the week of March 24 to 28, and not reporting for duty on March 29.
The security team detected that he had illegally accessed ATMs and changed their access-code combinations on March 27 and 28.
Further evidence against him and the cleaner was obtained when one of the CCTV cameras recorded them walking out with bags packed with cash.
The bank’s tracking team along with local detectives received information that the suspects were travelling from Nelspruit to Middelburg on Tuesday.
A crime-intelligence-driven sting operation was initiated to round up the wrongdoers.
On the same day at about 16:00, they were apprehended at Mhluzi Mall near Middelburg and brought back.
Officials recovered a total of R121 000 stashed in the supsects’ carry bags.
Hlathi added that officials interviewed the two, who led them to their five accomplices, who were close friends and relatives and included a sangoma.
Police worked tirelessly through the night and arrested the remaining suspects in Pienaar, Masoyi and KaBokweni.
More than R3 million was recovered of the total R4,1 million.
A total of R800 000 was lent to a businessman who was not aware that the money was stolen and agreed to pay back the whole amount. Another R500 000 was handed to the sangoma, whose brother decided that an amount that big couldn’t be kept in his possession and took it to Pretoria where he was apprehended.
Hlathi said he would most likely testify as a witness.
All seven suspects remained in custody.
