MBOMBELA – An Absa bank custodian and one of the bank’s cleaners who stole more than R3 million from the bank last March, were found guilty in the Nelspruit Regional Court on Monday. They will be sentenced on July 20. Charges against their five alleged accomplices were withdrawn.
Themba Mafunyeka (28) and Evans Thwala (34) pulled off the theft by changing the ATMs’ access combination codes in Mbombela’s CBD on March 27 and 28 last year. The city centre’s ATMs ran out of cash shortly thereafter, which led to an investigation by the SAPS War Room tracking team with the Absa Barclays Africa Security Division of Serious and Violent Crime Investigation and Information. CCTV camera footage portrayed the two suspects walking out of the bank with bags full of cash.
Mafunyeka and Thwala had reportedly been travelling from Mbombela to Middelburg when they were apprehended on April 1, 2014. Officials recovered a total of R121 000 stashed in the supsects’ carry bags. They were interviewed by the police after which they led them to their five accomplices, who were also arrested.
Bundles of cash were allegedly found in the possession of Messrs Tsepho Tsela (29), Phulani Lekhuleni (29), Happy Mashego (33), Given Mafunyaka (30) and Ms Mzamo Rose Thwala (30). The five were apprehended in Masoyi, Pienaar and KaBokweni after law enforcement reportedly came accross cash hidden in their homes. A source close to the investigation recalled that money had been hidden in cupboards and under beds and other furniture.
A total of R3,1 million was recovered. A total of R800 000 was lent to a businessman, who was not aware that the money had been stolen and had previously agreed to pay back the whole amount. He would have testified for the state, but the case against the remaining five accused was provisionally withdrawn on Monday. The state indicated it would continue with the case if further investigations warranted further prosecution.
On May 5, Lowvelder reported:
MBOMBELA – An Absa staff member and his six co-accused appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court last week, where they faced charges of stealing R4,1 million. The case stood down for negotiations and, after no middleground could be reached, it was postponed to June 15.
Lowvelder previously reported on the events which led to the arrest of the accused. They are Messrs Themba Mafunyeka (28), Evans Thwala (34), Tsepho Tsela (29), Phulani Lekhuleni (29), Happy Mashego (33), Given Mafunyaka (30) and Ms Mzamo Rose Thwala (30). It was alleged that Mafunyeka, who was a custodian at the bank, and Evans, a contracted cleaner, colluded to access the CBD’s ATMs on March 27 and 28 last year. They apparently did so by changing the machines’ access combinations.
CCTV cameras recorded the two suspects walking out of the bank with bags full of cash. When the ATMs in Mbombela ran low on cash, investigations were launched. The suspects had reportedly been travelling from Mbombela to Middleburg when they were apprehended in a crime-intelligence-driven operation on April 1, 2014. Mafunyeka and Evans were interviewed by the police and led the SAPS to their five accomplices, who were also arrested. The five alleged accomplices were released on bail in 2014 and bail of R15 000 each was granted to Mafunyeka and Evans in January.
Absa has indicated that, if the accused pleaded guilty and judgement is passed accordingly, it will be satisfied with a suspended sentence. The accused did not plead guilty and the case was postponed to June.
Previous court appearance as reported on February 5, 2015:
MBOMBELA – The trial of an Absa staff member and his six co-accused was provisionally scheduled for Thursday, but was postponed to April 22 and 23.
Messrs Themba Mafunyeka (28), Evans Thwala, Tsepho Tsela (29), Phulani Lekhuleni (29), Happy Mashego (33) and Given Mafunyaka (30) as well as Ms Mzamo Rose Thwala (30) allegedly stole more than R4 million from Absa in Mbombela by targeting the CBD’s ATMs in May last year.
Mafunyeka was employed by the bank and Thwala worked as a cleaner. It is alleged that they colluded to change the access combinations to the ATMs and took bagfuls of cash. Investigations led to their arrest on April 1, 2014. They were interviewed by the police and implicated the other five accused, Lowvelder previously reported.
Tsela, Lekhuleni, Mashego, Thwala and Mafunyaka were also arrested and appeared in court on April 4 last year. They are out on bail, whereas Mafunyeka and Thwala will remain in custody until April 22.
