DIS impersonators plead guilty

Lebogang Mosikare | Friday January 23, 2015 18:49

 

The trio, all unemployed, was initially charged with Alfred Matshambane who later turned state witness. They pleaded guilty to falsely representing themselves as DIS officers and unlawfully arresting an Indian businessman, Pankajkumar Shah, on February 12, 2012 in Sebina.

On the second charge of obtaining by false pretense, the trio allegedly defrauded Shah by falsely representing themselves as DIS agents on assignment and obtaining P6,200 from him. The accused went to Sebina and arrested Shah at his hardware after they told him that they were DIS officers.

They allegedly told him that they were DIS agents and wanted to question him in connection with winning government tenders by dubious means through the help of one Lebogang whom they had in custody.

On the way from Sebina to Francistown the accused allegedly obtained P6,200 from Shah at Mathangwane.

Shah later reported the matter to the police after becoming suspicious that the accused were not in fact agents of the DIS.

The prosecutor, Gasemotho Pitlagano, said that he did not object to the change of plea as applied for by defence attorney, Kabelo Gaonyadiwe.

Pitlagano said he would have to thoroughly consult with his superiors to consider whether the accused can reconcile with Shah or not. He said this after Gaonyadiwe told the court that the accused wanted to reconcile with Shah and compensate him the money they allegedly defrauded from him.

He explained that the minimum sentence of obtaining by false pretences is seven years in jail. Principal Magistrate Dumisani Basupi postponed the matter to today.