Rustenburg - A 40-year-old bank official who allegedly manipulated the banking system and committed fraud to the tune of R2.4 million, has been arrested in Mpumalanga.
Johanna Mabelane allegedly changed the personal particulars of account holders without their consent and diverted the money from their bank accounts into her personal bank accounts.
She appeared in the Emalahleni Magistrate's Court on Tuesday. The case against her was postponed to December 1 for a formal bail application.
"On November 18, 2022 at about 1pm members of Vosmas police station received information from Vosman crime investigation division about a suspect who was arrested for R2.4m fraud at the KG Mall in Witbank.
“The case docket was opened and transferred to the Middelburg-based Hawks Commercial Crime Investigation for further probe," said Mpumalanga Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi.
She said a preliminary investigation discovered that the suspect was a bank official and that she had allegedly manipulated the system and changed the personal particulars of the bank card holders or clients without their consent and diverted the money from unsuspecting victims into her personal bank accounts.
"Some of the clients were shocked upon discovering the transactions which they did not give permission for. The victims went to the banks and reported the matter. An Internal investigation was conducted by the bank investigation team, hence the arrest of the suspect," she said.
Sekgotodi said the provincial head of the Hawks, Major General Zodwa Mokoena was delighted about the collaboration between the law enforcement agencies in the province and urged the other victims who were still outstanding to report the matter to the nearest police station.
In a separate incident, Martin Ashley Levick, 52, was expected back in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday, after he was remanded in custody by the same court on Tuesday.
"Levick was sought on a warrant of arrest that was issued by the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court earlier this month. He is accused of swindling a family trust fund of millions of American dollars’ worth of shares equivalent to just over three hundred million in South African rands in 2017," Hawks spokesperson in Gauteng, Captain Lloyd Ramovha, said.
"Levick reportedly approached the family and presented a fraudulent investment scheme named Peermont Preference Shares. He allegedly stated that the family stood to gain astronomically from an offshore investment, needless to say this was never the case," he said.
Shortly afterwards Levick vanished, this resulted in a case of fraud being registered with the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime investigation.
"A warrant for Levick's arrest was issued earlier in November resulting into his arrest on Monday. He consequently appeared in court and is awaiting his fate on Thursday in a bail hearing," Ramovha said.
IOL