IN a scandal that's rocking the city, a Tshwane Metro cop has been embroiled in a shocking web of fraud and money laundering.
Lebogang Sigubudu (36), a sergeant deployed as a Metro police officer since 2009, finds himself at the heart of a multimillion-rand bursary scam alongside former KPMG employee, Fidelis Moema (32).
Moema (32) is accused of allegedly defrauding his employer, KPMG - an auditing firm in Joburg, of over R16,5 million.
This cash, earmarked to help underprivileged students for almost a year, allegedly ended up lining the pockets of Moema and his co-accused.
The duo, along with a third accomplice, business tycoon Trevor Machimane (39), appeared in the Palm Ridge Magistrates Court on Thursday, 17 April for their bail bid.
It's believed Moema, between 2019 to 2022, allegedly diverted university funds into the accounts of friends and business associates, before rerouting the cash back to his own bank account.
This was revealed when State Prosecutor Valencia Dube read out an affidavit by investigating officer Detective Nyiko Mbiza.
The revelations in court have now possibly linked Machimane and Sigubudu as two of many who allegedly received KPMG money illegally into their accounts.
Metro police 'dirt' unmasked
Mbiza said Sigubudu wasn't only a Metro cop but a sole director of Black Ants Suppliers, whose bank accounts were linked to him.
According to Mbiza, bank statements from this company showed how money from KPMG totalling to R657 000 had been paid into their account during May 2022 to November 2022.
Shortly after that, the money would then be sent to his account. Sigubudu would then allegedly transfer the money back to Moema’s account.
However, he still allegedly kept a portion or share which would then be used for his personal gain, Mbiza wrote in his affidavit.
He argued in his affidavit that KMPG money had been paid into the company's account. This was despite them not being service providers of the company or bursary recipient.
According to Mbiza, Sigubudu's alleged crimes didn't end there but instead involved other parties.
“[Sigubudu] also recruited other people or companies to use their companies' bank accounts to launder money from KPMG, and they would then send part of this money to [Sigubudu] who in turn would transfer the money to [Moema]” Mbiza wrote.
According to Mbiza, the companies and their directors have approached the state and made statements against Moema on the funds and how they were used.
Moema faces 431 counts of fraud, 431 counts of theft and 431 counts of money laundering.
The matter was postponed to Friday, 19 April for a magistrate's decision of bail application.
