Cape Town – Two South Africans, Uthando Lorraine Modise and Marcious Lerato Lisene, have been arrested and charged with fraud and money laundering amounting to approximately R57m.
According to Times Live, the charges stem from an investigation by the Hawks and Lesotho Mounted Police Service, initiated after Lesotho officials allegedly diverted payments from the Central Bank to private accounts in South Africa with the help of co-conspirators.
“This crime was committed with the assistance of Lesotho officials who, after intercepting vouchers meant for legitimate service providers, diverted payments to their co-conspirators in South Africa. Some of these officials are already before court in Lesotho.
“With the help of the Financial Intelligence Centre, it was established that money was channelled to a South African bank under different company accounts,” the report quoted W/O Fikiswa Matoti as saying.
The accused, along with their company Traggulogy, will seek bail on March 13.
Matoti said that the collaboration between the Hawks and Lesotho Mounted Police Service was rapidly strengthening, IOL reported.
Meanwhile, Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, the Head of the Hawks in the Free State, conveyed her gratitude for the increasing partnership aimed at addressing cross-border crime, the report said.
She emphasised the joint efforts to combat intricate money laundering schemes spanning multiple accounts across various countries.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
