Gaobuse Desmond Mokhobo (35) stood trial before the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday 3 April. He received sentencing for multiple charges, including fraud, contravention of Section 4 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), Act 121 of 1998 (related to money laundering), and contravention of Section 4(1) of the Regulation of Interception of Communications and Provision of Communication-related Information Act (RICA), Act 70 of 2000.
According to Captain Christopher Singo, spokesperson for the Hawks (Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation), the Department of Justice flagged suspicious activity involving third-party funds at the Zastron Magistrate’s Court in 2019. The matter was escalated to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Bloemfontein for a thorough investigation.
“It was discovered that the accused, who was employed at the Zastron Magistrate’s Court, would make deposits into the bank account of his partner using the credentials of another court official. As a result, the Department of Justice was prejudiced and suffered a loss of R300 000,” stated Singo.
Mokhobo was sentenced to thirteen years in prison for fraud, with six years suspended for five years on the condition that he avoids any further conviction of fraud during the suspension period.
Additionally, he received five years of direct imprisonment for contravening Section 4 of POCA, Act 121 of 1998, and another five years of direct imprisonment for contravening Section 4(1) of RICA, Act 70 of 2000.
All sentences are to run concurrently, resulting in an effective seven-year imprisonment term. He was also deemed unfit to possess a firearm.
Compiled by Warren Hawkins
