The Hawks are investigating a fraud syndicate that has duped many Eastern Cape residents out of their hard-earned money.
It is alleged members of the syndicate told victims their ancestors would bless them and double their money if they invested with the scheme.
The Hawks said they were currently investigating seven different cases.
Two weeks ago the elite crime fighting unit arrested a woman who allegedly swindled an East London man out of R60 0000 pension money.
Ugandan Haawa Nalwanga’s arrest came after another Ugandan national, Nitzar Mukasa, was sentenced to an effective six years in jail for defrauding an East London man of R50 0000.
A third Ugandan is currently on the run and is being sought in connection for fraud worth hundreds of thousands.
Hawks spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni said Mukasa’s assets were sold by the state to recover money he stole.
“Mukasa was arrested in June last year for crimes he committed in 2014. He was a traditional healer and the victim was a 50-year-old woman, a teacher whom he persuaded to retire from work and hand over her pension by promising that her ancestors would multiply her money.
“The former teacher gave Mukasa R550 000 of her pension money,” said Feni.
She said the Hawks had since confiscated Mukasa’s 2007 Range Rover which the state sold for R200 000.
She said a Jeep Cherokee was also seized and is yet to be sold by the state.
“The proceeds from the sale of the Range Rover were given to the victim.”
Nalwanga, 36, was arrested two weeks ago and has been denied bail by the East London Magistrate’s Court.
She is expected back in court later this month for a formal bail application.
“A relative of Nalwanga’s victim saw her in a shopping mall and immediately reported her to the police, who then arrested her.
“After her arrest, a Mercedes-Benz sedan was repossessed from her,” said Feni.
Feni said in 2014 Nalwanga allegedly managed to convince a 60-year-old man – who at the time was working as an administrative clerk – to resign and hand his pension money to her with promises that she could cleanse and multiply it.
Feni said a public campaign by the Hawks to detain people suspected of defrauding government employees of their pension money was yielding good results.
“The Hawks have established that this is the work of a syndicate. We urgently warn the public concerning this scam, which has so far defrauded a number of people, mostly women, of their government pensions,” said Feni.
“People have been conned by people purporting to be traditional healers or sangomas. We have arrested a number of people and have a conviction to prove that we are working to root this out.”
Hawks provincial head Major-General Nyameko Nogwanya said his members were working hard on the cases. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Hawks take aim at fraud syndicate
It is alleged members of the syndicate told victims their ancestors would bless them and double their money if they invested with the scheme.
The Hawks said they were currently investigating seven different cases.
Two weeks ago the elite crime fighting unit arrested a woman who allegedly swindled an East London man out of R60 0000 pension money.
Ugandan Haawa Nalwanga’s arrest came after another Ugandan national, Nitzar Mukasa, was sentenced to an effective six years in jail for defrauding an East London man of R50 0000.
A third Ugandan is currently on the run and is being sought in connection for fraud worth hundreds of thousands.
Hawks spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni said Mukasa’s assets were sold by the state to recover money he stole.
“Mukasa was arrested in June last year for crimes he committed in 2014. He was a traditional healer and the victim was a 50-year-old woman, a teacher whom he persuaded to retire from work and hand over her pension by promising that her ancestors would multiply her money.
“The former teacher gave Mukasa R550 000 of her pension money,” said Feni.
She said the Hawks had since confiscated Mukasa’s 2007 Range Rover which the state sold for R200 000.
She said a Jeep Cherokee was also seized and is yet to be sold by the state.
“The proceeds from the sale of the Range Rover were given to the victim.”
Nalwanga, 36, was arrested two weeks ago and has been denied bail by the East London Magistrate’s Court.
She is expected back in court later this month for a formal bail application.
“A relative of Nalwanga’s victim saw her in a shopping mall and immediately reported her to the police, who then arrested her.
“After her arrest, a Mercedes-Benz sedan was repossessed from her,” said Feni.
Feni said in 2014 Nalwanga allegedly managed to convince a 60-year-old man – who at the time was working as an administrative clerk – to resign and hand his pension money to her with promises that she could cleanse and multiply it.
Feni said a public campaign by the Hawks to detain people suspected of defrauding government employees of their pension money was yielding good results.
“The Hawks have established that this is the work of a syndicate. We urgently warn the public concerning this scam, which has so far defrauded a number of people, mostly women, of their government pensions,” said Feni.
“People have been conned by people purporting to be traditional healers or sangomas. We have arrested a number of people and have a conviction to prove that we are working to root this out.”
Hawks provincial head Major-General Nyameko Nogwanya said his members were working hard on the cases. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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