NORTHERN CAPE – Micheal Magoje (56) and Fikile Jacobs Makoti (38) were found guilty and sentenced by Kimberley Magistrate’s Court for fraud and money laundering on Tuesday, 27 July 2021.

Magoje, a former employee at Master of the High Court in Kimberley and his accomplice Makoti were arrested during July 2019. In August 2015, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in Pretoria received a complaint regarding fraudulent claims made at Kimberley Master of the High Court office. According to some of the interest bearing cards, there was money paid to the accused’s account which appeared to be claimed later by the guardians of the beneficiaries. The Department suffered a loss totalling over R850 000-00.

The two accused made a series of court appearances until they were found guilty and sentenced to six years direct imprisonment on eleven counts of fraud and four years direct imprisonment for money laundering. Both sentences have been ordered to run concurrently.

The Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team was praised by the Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Kholekile Galawe for working tirelessly in securing these great convictions.

Source: South African Police Service