A Cape Town fraudster is set to be sentenced next month after his co-accused girlfriend turned state witness and testified against him before she died.
The Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court convicted Ian Pakoe‚ 36‚ this week on a slew of fraud charges including money laundering and contravention of the Income Tax Act to the value of R960‚000.
Pakoe is a former assistant maintenance manager at the Table Bay Hotel‚ a five-star establishment at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
According to Hawks spokesman Captain Philani Nkwalase‚ Pakoe and his girlfriend‚ Veroza Ismael‚ established companies and diverted maintenance work to them without the knowledge of hotel management.
“Pakoe and his girlfriend received undue benefits from the payments of the entities into their accounts‚” Nkwalase said on Friday. “They were arrested in 2013 after the matter was reported to the Hawks for investigation.”
Nkwalase said Ismael entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the state. She was fined R20‚000 with an alternative of five years’ imprisonment.
“She later testified as state witness against Pakoe before she passed away‚” said Nkwalase.
Sentencing procedures will commence on October 22.
R1m fraudster's girlfriend turned on him ... then died
A Cape Town fraudster is set to be sentenced next month after his co-accused girlfriend turned state witness and testified against him before she died.
The Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court convicted Ian Pakoe‚ 36‚ this week on a slew of fraud charges including money laundering and contravention of the Income Tax Act to the value of R960‚000.
Pakoe is a former assistant maintenance manager at the Table Bay Hotel‚ a five-star establishment at the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront.
According to Hawks spokesman Captain Philani Nkwalase‚ Pakoe and his girlfriend‚ Veroza Ismael‚ established companies and diverted maintenance work to them without the knowledge of hotel management.
“Pakoe and his girlfriend received undue benefits from the payments of the entities into their accounts‚” Nkwalase said on Friday. “They were arrested in 2013 after the matter was reported to the Hawks for investigation.”
Nkwalase said Ismael entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the state. She was fined R20‚000 with an alternative of five years’ imprisonment.
“She later testified as state witness against Pakoe before she passed away‚” said Nkwalase.
Sentencing procedures will commence on October 22.