The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it has provisionally withdrawn charges against three of five people accused of alleged fraud.
The fraud was targeted at the estranged wife of a leader of a faction of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC).
Funeral parlour employee Oupa Mkhonza, 53, Thabo Mosime, 48, and Nthabiseng Ntsoane had charges against them provisionally withdrawn, pending further investigation, in the Alexandra magistrate’s court last week. Ntsoane is the deputy master for deceased estate appointment in the master of the high court’s office in Pretoria.
The trio had been accused of being involved in an intricate web of fraud in which the estranged wife of the leader of the Jerusalema faction of IPHC, Michael Sandlana, was fraudulently declared dead and her estate placed under her husband.
Magalane Sandlana opened a fraud case with the police on April 9 after she found out that she had been declared dead. Her husband was arrested together with four others in relation to her estate being put under his executorship.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said Mkhonza, Mosime and Ntsoane's charges were provisionally withdrawn pending further investigations.
“The matter was transferred to Pretoria Regional Court, with only Ramothwala and Sandlana left as the accused as charges against the three were provisionally withdrawn, said Mjonondwane.
The three, along with Sandlana and lawyer Albert Ramothwala, had been granted bail ranging between R2,000 and R5,000 between April and June.
The remaining accused, Sandlana and Ramothwala, who have been singled out as the alleged masterminds in the scheme, will appear in the Pretoria Regional court today.
Ramothwala allegedly submitted to the master of the high court in Pretoria a death notice and letter of executorship on April 9 which bore the names and personal details of Sandlana as well as his signature.
The notice was submitted along with a certified copy of Sandlana’s ID document, the couple’s marriage certificate, a “death certificate”, an inventory of properties, a nomination form, a form for acceptance of trust as executor, an affidavit and an ID copy of Magalane.
According to the documents, Sandlana was to inherit three properties with a total value of nearly R1.5m.
IPHC head co-accused charges 'withdrawn'
Pastor and alleged accomplice left to face wrath of the law
Image: Antonio Muchave
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) says it has provisionally withdrawn charges against three of five people accused of alleged fraud.
The fraud was targeted at the estranged wife of a leader of a faction of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC).
Funeral parlour employee Oupa Mkhonza, 53, Thabo Mosime, 48, and Nthabiseng Ntsoane had charges against them provisionally withdrawn, pending further investigation, in the Alexandra magistrate’s court last week. Ntsoane is the deputy master for deceased estate appointment in the master of the high court’s office in Pretoria.
The trio had been accused of being involved in an intricate web of fraud in which the estranged wife of the leader of the Jerusalema faction of IPHC, Michael Sandlana, was fraudulently declared dead and her estate placed under her husband.
Magalane Sandlana opened a fraud case with the police on April 9 after she found out that she had been declared dead. Her husband was arrested together with four others in relation to her estate being put under his executorship.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane said Mkhonza, Mosime and Ntsoane's charges were provisionally withdrawn pending further investigations.
“The matter was transferred to Pretoria Regional Court, with only Ramothwala and Sandlana left as the accused as charges against the three were provisionally withdrawn, said Mjonondwane.
The three, along with Sandlana and lawyer Albert Ramothwala, had been granted bail ranging between R2,000 and R5,000 between April and June.
The remaining accused, Sandlana and Ramothwala, who have been singled out as the alleged masterminds in the scheme, will appear in the Pretoria Regional court today.
Ramothwala allegedly submitted to the master of the high court in Pretoria a death notice and letter of executorship on April 9 which bore the names and personal details of Sandlana as well as his signature.
The notice was submitted along with a certified copy of Sandlana’s ID document, the couple’s marriage certificate, a “death certificate”, an inventory of properties, a nomination form, a form for acceptance of trust as executor, an affidavit and an ID copy of Magalane.
According to the documents, Sandlana was to inherit three properties with a total value of nearly R1.5m.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending
Related articles
Latest Videos