| 2024/11/07 |
|
Media Statement PRETORIA – Former Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality manager, Johannes Mohlala (60) was yesterday, 6 November 2024 sentenced by the Pretoria High Court to 5 years imprisonment suspended for 5 years on condition that he is not found guilty of the same offence in the period and that he pay an amount of R100, 000 to the Curator of VBS. In one of the segments in the broader VBS investigation, accused number 1, Mr Mohlala, pleaded guilty under S105A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977. He pleaded guilty for contravening S173(1) of the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA). He was found guilty and sentenced on the same day. Accused 2, Mr Ratau (42) did not attend court and a warrant for his arrest has been issued. The case was remanded to 18 November 2024 for forfeiture of bail of Mr Ratau. The third accused, Keaobaka Remigious Kgatitsoe was sentenced to five years imprisonment which was wholly suspended for five years when he appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court on 12 July 2022, on the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality case relating to VBS investments. The trio, Mohlala (60) former Municipal Manager, Ratau (42) former Chief Financial Officer for Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality and a businessman, Keaobaka Kgatitsoe (44) were arrested in Pretoria on 16 November 2021 on allegations of the contravention of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No. 56 of 2003) for investing municipal funds with VBS Mutual Bank. The investigation revealed that Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality invested an amount of R230 million which was paid in five trenches from 15 November 2016 to 19 February 2018. The three appeared in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, the 17 November 2021 on charges of Contravention of section 173 of the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003 (Act No. 56 of 2003); corruption; and money laundering. Ends
Enquiries:
X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/SAPoliceService |
|
|
