The Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes court has convicted and fined Bandlakazi Bambeni (37) an amount of R150 000 or 12 months direct imprisonment on September 6 for a matter relating to fraud.
According to Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela, on October 23, 2019, a client of Old Mutual went to their offices in a mall at Mthatha to seek advice on applying for a consolidation loan.
“Bambeni persuaded the client to apply for an additional loan of R176 000 which was declined by Old Mutual due to excessive number of deductions on the client’s pay slip to make him qualify for the loan in the absence of the client,” said Mgolodela.
She said unfortunately for Bambeni, the forensic team of Old Mutual easily detected the suspected fraudulent activities and immediately lodged a complaint with the Mthatha Based Hawk’s Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team for investigation. Mgolodela added that the investigation ensued and led to the arrest of Bambeni on July 14, 2022, making her first appearance in court on July 15, 2022, which was followed by a successful bail application.
“She made a number of court appearances at the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court where she was ultimately convicted and sentenced.”
