Nokwanda Margaret Matebese (40) appeared in the Gqeberha New Law Court on 26 October 2021 after her arrest by the Gqeberha based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks on the same day for charges of fraud and money laundering.

It is alleged that on 02 December 2020 an amount of R500 000 was stolen from a Nedbank client’s account by a bank employee. It is further reported that an amount of R200 000 was transferred into the Nedbank account of Ntsikelelo Matebese Funeral. The accused Nokwanda and her husband Ntsikelelo Matebese (44) are further alleged to have withdrawn R160 000-00 of this money on 03 December 2021.

On realising the suspicious fraudulent transaction, the bank immediately froze the account of Matebese Funerals and recovered R40 000-00. The matter was then referred to the Hawks for probing  which culminated in the arrest of the businessmen Gcinithemba Msana (37), Abongile Mhlomi (27), the bank employee Siyamthanda Nxwusana (32) and the director of Matebese Funeral parlour who is the husband to the accused. The four have since appeared in court and were released on R5000-00 bail each.

Margaret Matebese was released on R5000-00 bail and will join her co-accused on 28 October 2021 to set a trial date.

Source: South African Police Service