The Taung Regional Court in North West has sentenced a former college principal Motlagomang Prudence Mathloko, 43, to R12,000 fine or four years imprisonment after she was found guilty on two counts of fraud.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, said Mathloko’s sentencing emanates from fraudulent travel claims she reportedly submitted between October 2017 and December 2017, while she was still employed by the Taung Agricultural College.
“Investigation by the Hawks' serious corruption investigation revealed the accused submitted claims for a vehicle that was at the garage for repairs. It was further established that she utilised an official vehicle for the two trips she submitted claims for,” said Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Tinyiko Mathebula.
“The accused was paid over R17,000 for the claims submitted.”
Following an investigation, Mathloko was arrested in March 2020 and released on warning.
She made several court appearances until she was found guilty on two counts of fraud and sentenced to R12,000 fine or four years imprisonment.
The court suspended half of the sentence for five years on condition that Mathloko is not convicted of fraud during the period of suspension.
Meanwhile, North West acting head of the Hawks, Brigadier Silas Munzhedzi, and the Director of Public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, have welcomed the sentencing and lauded the law enforcement and prosecution teams which worked on the case.
Last year, IOL reported that a 29-year-old North West woman was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after she defrauded clients a staggering R3.7 million after promising them low-priced luxury vehicles imported from the United States.
Nachy Britz was sentenced by the Brits Magistrate’s Court in October after she was found guilty of two counts of fraud.
At the time, Mathebula, said between 2016 and 2018, Britz defrauded unsuspecting victims by tricking them into believing that she was a legitimate businesswoman who imports luxury vehicles from the US at a reasonable price.
“The victims showed interest in some of the vehicles that Britz presented to them. One victim paid Britz over R2.9 million to import Ford Mustangs and Harley Davidson motorcycles.
“Another victim, who entered into a business partnership with her, paid over R800,000 to import the vehicles,” said Mathebula.
IOL