The Bloemfontein magistrate’s court on Monday dished out a hefty sentence to a bogus estate agent, Sabata Israel Papane, who was sentenced to 23 years in prison.
The 60-year-old was found guilty of fraud, money-laundering, contravention of section 26 of the Estate Agency Affairs Act, and contravention of section 4 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
Police spokesperson Captain Christopher Singo explained: “The matter was reported to the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation team based in Bloemfontein for further investigation, which culminated in summons being served on Papane on 10 August 2021.
“He appeared in court on several occasions until his sentencing.”
Papane’s arrest emanates from an incident that took place in June 2014 when the victim saw an advertisement of a house for sale in a local newspaper.
“The victim contacted the number on the advertisement which was that of Papane. She then met with Papane, who acted as an estate agent, and accepted an offer to purchase the house and also signed the contract with the victim.
“The victim paid an amount of R100 000 to Papane for the purchase of the house. When the victim wanted to occupy the house, she discovered that Papane was not the lawful owner of the house nor designated as an estate agent.
“The victim requested a refund of her payment, which Papane failed to pay.”
The provincial head of the Hawks, Major-General Mokgadi Bokaba, lauded the investigating team for ensuring the hefty jail sentence, especially in ensuring that money-laundering charges are pursued.
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