A former law student, facing fraud charges for forging an East London judge’s signature in a fake order directing a medical aid scheme to pay out a huge sum to a family member, was arrested last week four years after escaping from the law.
Sonwabile Mtongana, 36, a then second-year law student from Unisa and an intern at Ndzamela Attorneys in Mthatha, went into hiding shortly after he was caught for the crime in 2012.
The Hawks re-arrested Mtongana over the fraud allegations after a long search.
He made headlines in 2012 when he disappeared while his trial was under way.
Mtongana allegedly forged the signature on a fake court order instructing a medical aid scheme to pay out a large sum to his family.
He was arrested by the Hawks Eastern Cape commercial crime wing in Johannesburg on Thursday and appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes court there on Friday.
He was held in custody and the matter was transferred to East London.
He appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
He was released on bail of R3000 and is scheduled to reappear on December 15.
In 2012 the Dispatch reported how Mtongana, a second-year Unisa law student at the time, allegedly drew up the fake draft order and signed it without the judge’s knowledge.
It is alleged that Mtongana tried to crook the system after Judge Jean Nepgen refused to hear his aunt’s case on an urgent basis.
Mtongana’s aunt, Mavis Mtongana, was claiming R200000 from Bonitas Medical Fund in a matter from 2007.
In a statement before court, Nepgen said Mtongana went as far as to meet him in chambers, and had placed a certificate of urgency before him on June 11.
A court registrar raised the alarm after noticing the order did not match the instructions on the front of the court file, which is usually filled by the presiding judge.
A case of fraud was opened with the Commercial Crimes Unit.
Complaints were also filed with the Director of Public Prosecutions and Cape Law Society back in 2012. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
Law student held after four years on the run
Sonwabile Mtongana, 36, a then second-year law student from Unisa and an intern at Ndzamela Attorneys in Mthatha, went into hiding shortly after he was caught for the crime in 2012.
The Hawks re-arrested Mtongana over the fraud allegations after a long search.
He made headlines in 2012 when he disappeared while his trial was under way.
Mtongana allegedly forged the signature on a fake court order instructing a medical aid scheme to pay out a large sum to his family.
He was arrested by the Hawks Eastern Cape commercial crime wing in Johannesburg on Thursday and appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes court there on Friday.
He was held in custody and the matter was transferred to East London.
He appeared in the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
He was released on bail of R3000 and is scheduled to reappear on December 15.
In 2012 the Dispatch reported how Mtongana, a second-year Unisa law student at the time, allegedly drew up the fake draft order and signed it without the judge’s knowledge.
It is alleged that Mtongana tried to crook the system after Judge Jean Nepgen refused to hear his aunt’s case on an urgent basis.
Mtongana’s aunt, Mavis Mtongana, was claiming R200000 from Bonitas Medical Fund in a matter from 2007.
In a statement before court, Nepgen said Mtongana went as far as to meet him in chambers, and had placed a certificate of urgency before him on June 11.
A court registrar raised the alarm after noticing the order did not match the instructions on the front of the court file, which is usually filled by the presiding judge.
A case of fraud was opened with the Commercial Crimes Unit.
Complaints were also filed with the Director of Public Prosecutions and Cape Law Society back in 2012. — malibongwed@dispatch.co.za
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