[ad_1]
Image: iStock / TheCrimsonRibbon
- A former municipal official appeared in court for allegedly selling Lesedi municipality land without permission.
- It is alleged that Tshepo Pule Malekana empowered the attorneys for the sales by using the signature of a bogus city manager.
- The Gauteng Hawks said Malekana had turned herself in and more arrests could follow.
A former municipal official appeared in court for allegedly selling vacant land in Lesedi municipality without permission and with a forged signature.
Gauteng Hawks spokesman Captain Ndivhuwo Mulamu said Tshepo Pule Malekana is alleged to have empowered the lawyers for the sales using the forged signature of the city manager in the scam involving an alleged fraud of around 100 million rand .
The municipality of Lesedi is located in the rural area of farmland and nature reserve of Heidelberg in Gauteng.
The Serious Business Crime Investigation team in Germiston arrested the 39-year-old on charges of fraud and theft on Wednesday.
READ | JHB City Official Arrested for Illegal Property Sales
He allegedly facilitated cash transactions without board approval between 2017 and 2019 while he was still a planning and development manager.
Mulamu said Malekana turned himself in on Wednesday, accompanied by his lawyer, and was subsequently charged with fraud and theft.
He appeared in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court the same day.
He was granted bail of 3,000 rand and the case was postponed until May 11. More arrests could follow as the investigation progresses.
Do you want to know more about this topic? Sign up to receive one of 33 News24 newsletters to receive the information you want in your inbox. There are special newsletters available to subscribers.
We live in a world where fact and fiction blur
In uncertain times you need journalism you can trust. For only R75 per month, you have access to a world of in-depth analysis, investigative journalism, leading opinions and a variety of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today.
