A 41-year-old man has been convicted on charges of fraud by the East London Regional court on Thursday, April 3.
Thobani Mabizela's conviction was ensured by the East London Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Serious Commercial Crime Investigation.
Mabizela was taken into custody by the Hawks in October 2019, along with his accomplice, Zamile Nongongo, 52, and both appeared in court on the same day.
Hawk' spokesperson Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said that during the period from January 2018 to February 2019, Mabizela willfully fabricated and distributed fake bank statements and pay slips to his clients.
"Thereafter, Mabizela would facilitate the process of documents submission to various banks and vehicle dealerships to attain vehicle finance loans. However, the banks approved those aforesaid loans and vehicles were officially handed over to their clients with no single instalments made.
"The banks discovered discrepancies in all the documents submitted by Mabizela and his acquaintances and the matter was reported to the Hawks for further probing," said Mhlakuvana.
The Hawks' careful investigation proved that Mabizela was the brains behind a network that defrauded banks of more than R4.6 million. Mabizela was arrested in October 2019 after a further investigation by the Hawks, and he has been detained ever since. Mabizela made repeated court appearances in an unsuccessful bid to get bail.
Nongongo's trial is still ongoing, and he has been kept in detention since his arrest. Mabizela's case was adjourned to June 30, 2025, for sentencing.
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