EASTERN CAPE – The Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes court sentenced 36-year-old Gcobani Mntumni yesterday, 28 February 2022 to six years direct imprisonment for fraud and money laundering.

Mntumni who was a financial officer at the Mbashe Municipality added bank accounts belonging to his siblings and friends into the municipality payroll. The municipality paid the ghost employees and the fraudulent activities were discovered in March 2015. The municipality suffered a total loss of more than R304 000-00.

The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation based in Mthatha for investigation. A warrant for Mntumni’s arrest was issued by court and he was immediately arrested. His brothers and a friend were also arrested and the charges against them were later withdrawn.

In March 2015, Mntumni was released on bail. He pleaded guilty on 23 February 2022 after numerous court appearances. He was sentenced yesterday to 10 years imprisonment and four years of his sentence was suspended.

Source: South African Police Service