By Augustine Ehikioya
A man, Arthur Moyo, was at the weekend convicted and sentenced to 23 years imprisonment for masterminding R1.6million vehicle fraud in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa.
Convicted for four counts of fraud, the accused was said to have defrauded five auto firms.
A Press Statement by Captain Dineo Lucy Sekgotodi of Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (HAWKS), and obtained on Sunday by Security Watch Africa (SWA), said “A 32-year-old Arthur Moyo was found guilty and sentenced by the Emalahleni Regional Court on Friday 10 September, 2021 for over R1.6million fraud.
“Moyo was convicted for four counts of fraud and one count of contravening Sec. 18 (1) and Sec. 18 (2) of the Identification Act 68 of 1997. He was sentenced to 23years imprisonment, however the Court ruled that the accused will serve 15 years effectively, ” she said.
Listing the auto firms the accused defrauded, she said “Moyo’s conviction came after he went to Nel Auto Mazda, Witbank and Ford in Nelspruit and used counterfeit bank statements, salary pay slips, counterfeit ID documents bearing his photo to make applications for vehicle finance in November 2017.
“After the applications were approved he collected the said vehicles. The same Modus Operandi was used at Klerksdorp Motor Smart on 17 November, 2016.
“Again in Polokwane Galactic Auto on 13 January, 2017. Lastly in Rustenburg, Leons Rustenburg Ford on 13 January, 2017. The total value suffered by the banks is over R1.6million,” she added.
According to her, the Provincial Head for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General Zodwa Mokoena welcomed the sentence.
She further applauded the investigating team for “securing a successful conviction on multiple cases in all three Provinces which are Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng.”