The state has accused former KPMG bursary officer Fidelis Moema, the baby-daddy of content creator and luxury property consultant Sthe Bhengu, of using his ex-girlfriends to launder money. The girlfriends have since turned state witnesses.
A total of 431 irregular payments with a total value of R16.5-million were unlawfully paid to different bank accounts of these people linked to Moema between October 2019 and November 2022.
Accused’s baby mama received expensive gifts, including a Range Rover SUV
This was the same time Bhengu was vocal and boasted about the expensive gifts she received from Moema.
These included a black Range Rover SUV, which he gifted her in 2022.
At the time, she was pregnant. She also showed off a luxury holiday to Sontorini in Greece and a gender reveal in a helicopter.
Investigating officer, Detective-Sergeant Nyiko Mbiza, made these shocking revelations in an affidavit read out in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court sitting in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court.
“He would make them start companies, open accounts, and divert money there. Those girlfriends have made police statements against Moema and are now state witnesses,” said Mbiza.
Accused number one Moema appeared in court alongside accused number two, Trevor Machimane. Accused number 3 Lebohang Sigubudu also joined them on Thursday for a bail application.
Fraud and money-laundering involving the missing R16.5-million
They are charged with fraud and money-laundering involving the missing R16.5-million in KPMG bursary funds.
Moema, a bursary specialist at KPMG, was arrested by the Hawks. He was nabbed for allegedly diverting funds amounting to R16.5-million into private accounts. These belonged to friends and, ultimately, his own account.
He had been employed by KPMG as a bursary specialist since 31 August 2018.
As part of his duties, he was responsible for the bursary process for various students. These included “academic students, new applications, renewals, payments, recoveries, reporting, and drafting. The funds were for the Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban KPMG offices in South Africa”.
According to Mbiza, the evidence obtained shows how Moema manipulated the payment files of the bursary programme. This in such a manner that the payments effected by KPMG were made to various companies and individuals linked to Moema. Instead of the tertiary institutions where any of the bursary recipients attended.
Manipulated bursary payment files
“Upon receipt of these monies from KPMG, these business account holders linked to Accused 1 (which includes Accused 2 and 3) would immediately or shortly thereafter transfer the bulk of the money (stemming from KPMG),” Mbiza explained.
He revealed that though Moema was a South African citizen and holder of a valid South African identity document, he was born in the UK. He is a father to a minor.
Mbiza revealed that Moema is facing 431 cases of fraud. Alternatively 431 counts of theft, contravention of Section 4 of POCA Money Laundering on 431 counts. And contravention of Section 6 of POCA Money Laundering on 431 counts. POCA refers to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002.
Machimana and Sigubudu are charged with contravention of Section 4, Section 5, and Section 6 of POCA Money Laundering Act.
Mbiza told the court that Moema works at Nedbank on contract as a special recruiter after he lied about resigning at KMPG. According to KPMG, he was dismissed.
He said Machimana was self-employed and was promised by Moema to do business with him. He made claims that he was not aware of the fraudulent funds that flowed into his account from Moema.
All charges related to the Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) 2002
Sigubudu works as a traffic officer for Tshwane Metro Police Department. According to the state, he became a recruiter in the long run.
Machimane is a South African citizen with one minor child. He was the sole director of Business Dynamics Synergies and a Nedbank business account. The account received numerous deposits from KPMG directly. These deposits were despite the company not having provided any services to KPMG directly or any bursary recipients. This was between October 2012 – October 2022.
Recruited friends to use their business accounts for ‘commission’
The company receive a total of R1,014 642 from KPMG. Machimane would then transfer the bulk of this money to Moema. While retaining a portion/share for his personal use.
Sigubudu, as a sergeant since September 1, 2009, was a married father of four.
He is the sole director of Black Ants Suppliers, which he registered on January 21, 2019.
Black Ants holds an FNB business account, which Sigubudu is the sole signatory of.
Sigubudu also recruited other people/companies. One such is Power of the People, a company whose director is Joseph Olifant. Its bank account was one of those used to allegedly launder money from KPMG. And they would send part of this money to Sigubudu, who would in turn transfer the money to Moema.
Presiding magistrate, only referred to as S Soko, withheld the ruling of the bail application until Friday. The trio remain in custody until then.
