Polokwane – The second accused arrested for defrauding Absa in Limpopo has been released on bail, the National Prosecuting Authority said on Thursday.
Dzulani Walter Mashau, aged 26, was granted R2 000 in Waterval Magistrate’s Court when he appeared on a R25 million fraud charge, NPA spokesperson in Limpopo Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said.
“He appeared as accused number two on a case of fraud relating to Absa bank official Fhatuwani Sidwell Mudzanani,” Malabi-Dzhangi added.
In July, an intelligence-driven operation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s (Hawks) serious commercial crime investigation team, police in Waterval and Absa forensic investigators resulted in the arrest of 27-year-old Mudzanani, an Absa bank consultant.
Mudzanani allegedly stole the R25m from Limpopo provincial government department accounts and deposited the funds into bank accounts linked to him.
On Thursday, the NPA’s Malabi-Dzhangi said the bank accounts linked to the scam belonged to Mudzanani and Mashau.
“It is alleged that the accused had a plan with his friend, Fhatuwani Mudzanani, to defraud R25m from the Limpopo provincial government departments’ accounts,” she said.
“The accused (Mashau) was arrested on the September 25, 2020, at his homestead. The matter was postponed October 20 for accused number one, Mudzanani, to bring his new legal representative.”
Mudzanani was released on R10 000 bail in July. During his arrest, police seized four Absa ATM cards, two withdrawal slips and more than R2 000 in cash.
African News Agency (ANA)