THE Pretoria High Court has frozen properties and cash worth R29 million belonging to a syndicate that stole from Eskom.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokeswoman Lumka Mahanjana said the restraint order was granted last week.
She said the Pretoria Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the NPA approached the court for an order against the people and businesses that duped the power utility.
Mahanjana said Mothelli Ben Theletsane, who has since passed on, was employed at Eskom on a contract basis and worked in a prepaid environment, supporting Eskom's prepaid vending system.
“He operated as a supervisor in his role and therefore obtained intimate knowledge of the operations of machines, and he also acquired technical expertise on the ins and outs of the credit dispensing units (CDU),” she said.
She pointed out that during his employment, he also acquired, unknowingly to Eskom, a master vending unit (MVU) that can generate limitless prepaid electricity vouchers and a few CDUs, which he concealed after his exit from Eskom.
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Mahanjana said after he died in 2017, the business was taken over by his wife, Thandi Roselinah Theletsane (50), and her three sons, Papi Isaac Theletsane (31), Tebello Lucky Theletsane (24) and Sibusiso Alfred Migal (34).
However, in 2012, it was discovered that Theletsane was allegedly running a ghost vending operation where he illegally generated electricity vouchers worth over R36 million and sold them to the public for his benefit.
“The business became so lucrative that it was expanded throughout all the nine provinces," said Mahanjana.
"Through the syndicate, the Theletsane family and the company Mothelli Theletsane Holdings and Investment (PTY) Ltd, managed to acquire 27 movable and 39 immovable properties worth over R23 million from the proceeds of crime."
She said the other 10 involved in the syndicate, Petrus Mohapi (43), Donald Rammusi (33), Victor Mdlalose (62), Joseph Mdlalose (38), Florence Mdlalose (28), Daniel Mapena Moleko (30), Xolani Dube (30), Lebohang Dennis Thabanyana (37), Raymond Balfour Mohapi (40) and Sebabatso Madibuseng Mbele (40), acquired 17 movable and one immovable property to the value of over R1,5 million.
Mahanjana said the Theletsane family, together with the 10 other accused, were arrested on 14 July 2021 and appearedin the Fochville Magistrates Court.
During the last appearance on Tuesday, 31 October, the matter was remanded to Wednesday, 15 November, for one of the accused to apply for Legal Aid assistance.
“This matter does not only highlight the effective cooperation and collaboration between various crime-fighting agencies within the NPA, as well as the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) but shows determination and commitment by the NPA to ensure that money stolen from the state is returned,” said Mahanjana.
