New twist in �thieving gardener� case
Innocent Selatlhwa | Thursday April 27, 2017 14:49
The matter, which started when Bhekizwe Nkomazana and his girlfriend Sharon Lompehu were charged with stealing P3.9 million from the elderly businessman, amongst other charges, has attracted a new charge and a more senior Magistrate.
It has now been moved to the Regional Magistrate.
According to the new charge, Nkomazana, Letlhogonolo Makgane who is a lawyer, Mooketsi Molefe who is an office manager at Cable Engineering and Motlalepula Molefe, a conveyance secretary at Ramalepa Attorneys, acting together in concert, with the intent to defraud, obtained the sum of P3.5 million from Leonisa Investments duly represented by Benny Thomas, by falsely pretending that they have been lawfully authorised to sell a house belonging to the deceased, Solomon Tlhapane when in fact and in truth they did not have such lawful authority from Tlhapane as he was not in the right state of mind at the time of the said transaction. On the second count, Nkomazana is charged with obtaining by false pretences.
It is alleged that Nkomazana and another not before Court on September 19, 2016, acting together and in concert, with the intent to defraud, obtained the sum of P600,000 from Tebogo Koketso by purporting to have sold and passed ownership through a fraudulent title deed for a ploughing field located at Ruele lands.
In the third count of hindering burial of a dead body, between August 9 and November 20, 2016 at or near Travellers Inn Mortuary in Tlokweng, Nkomazana and Lompehu are alleged to have acted together to, and whilst being under a duty to cause the dead body of Tlhapane to be buried, failed to perform such duty.
In the fourth count, Lompehu is charged with giving false information to a person employed in the public service. On September 1, 2016 at Tlokweng Border, Lompehu is alleged to have given false information in the form of a declaration to the effect that she is Tlhapane’s daughter, to enter Botswana.
On other counts, civil servants from the Omang office and Department of Road Transport and Safety (DRTS) allegedly helped the gardener obtain Botswana identity documents and a driver’s licence respectively in the names of Bheki Khaya Mazibuku.
Yesterday, Magistrate Ntombizodwa Ncube granted a P5,000 bail to the new entrants in the matter, Makgane and the Molefes.
The 11 charged people will appear before the Regional Magistrate on July 24. Of all the accused persons, only Nkomazana is remanded in custody.