Pretoria – The 28-year-old former bank employee, arrested by the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation unit for allegedly stealing almost R37m belonging to a deceased client of First National Bank (FNB) has been remanded in custody.
Hawks’ spokesperson in Limpopo, Captain Matimba Maluleke said Thabiso Matenda has appeared in court, where he was remanded in custody.
“The matter was postponed to 17 June for formal bail application,” Maluleke said.
Matenda worked as a consultant at FNB’s branch in Makhado, where he alleged siphoned the almost R37m from a deceased client’s bank account.
“It is alleged that on April 25, the suspect who was an FNB consultant at Makhado branch, opened the profile of the client who had just died in a vehicle accident a day before (April 24, 2022) without any authorisation,” Maluleke said last week.
“It is further alleged that the suspect connived with his accomplice to open a new bank account and linked it to the deceased’s account and started spending all the money from the deceased’s account.”
The Hawks said a total of R36 989 051 was looted from the deceased client.
Maluleke said the illegal activities were discovered by the bank, and a case of fraud and theft was opened with the Hawks.
When the 28-year-old FNB employee was approached by the bank managers about the matter, he reportedly tendered his resignation letter with immediate effect.
“During the investigation, it was discovered that some of the stolen money was used to buy expensive cars and donate to a certain church,” said Maluleke.
Matenda was scheduled to make his first appearance in the Makhado Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
“The investigation is still ongoing and more arrests are expected,” Maluleke said.
In February, an Absa bank specialist engineer, Xolela Masebeni, who made headlines after being arrested for allegedly defrauding Absa bank of more than R100m within the space of three months, was shot and killed.
At the time, Eastern Cape police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli told IOL that Masebeni was shot outside his home in Unati Mkefa, Ezibeleni, on a Saturday afternoon.
“Police can confirm that they are investigating a case of murder after a 31-year-old man, Xolela Masebeni, was fatally shot outside his home at Unati Mkefa area, Ezibeleni, on Saturday afternoon,” Nkohli said.
“On Saturday, February 26 at about 4pm, Masebeni was sitting in the yard with four of his friends, when two unknown men accosted him. It is further said that Masebeni stood up and approached the two unknown men.”
His friend heard several gunshots, and everybody started running.
IOL