High-flying Tshwane metro cop Peter “Gagash” Nonyane allegedly walked into a Mercedes-Benz dealership shopping for a R1.65-million G-Wagon almost as though he was buying a loaf of bread.
But the bread needed paperwork.
And according to Hawks Colonel Daniel Makuwa, that paperwork became the problem which ultimately helped investigators follow R1.65-million allegedly flowing from a dead man’s estate towards the luxury SUV.
Makuwa took the stand in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday as the State sought to demonstrate the strength of its fraud and money-laundering case against Nonyane and his attorney partner, Charlotte Tibana.
Nonyane and Tibana are applying for bail.
READ: ‘Suicide’ recording shock at TMPD officer Peter ‘Gagash’ Nonyane, wife bail hearing
Makuwa, who leads an eight-member Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, told the court investigators had traced transfers from an account belonging to the estate of the late Masha.
“The State has got a case against both accused to the fact that there is some transfers that was made from the account of Miss Masha,” Makuwa testified.
According to Makuwa, investigators became interested in the vehicle transaction after one of Tibana’s clients approached them with a complaint.
“The complaint was about the purchase of a vehicle at Wonderboom Mercedes-Benz in Pretoria,” he said.
At the centre of the deal was no ordinary runaround.
“The alleged motor vehicle that was about to be purchased was a Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 to the value of R1 679 990.00,” Makuwa testified.
Investigators followed the paperwork and allegedly discovered Nonyane was the applicant.
The couple were assisted by a salesperson named Jacky, according to Makuwa.
He said Nonyane drove the negotiations while the money allegedly came through Tibana from the deceased estate.
“Accused 2 was the one leading the negotiations though the money was coming from Accused 1 through the estate of the deceased.”
The original R1.679-million asking price was negotiated down to R1.65-million.
Then came the payment.
Makuwa said the deal was finalised on October 28 2024, with R1.65-million deposited into the dealership that day.
But another R100,000 allegedly followed from the same estate account.
According to Makuwa, Tibana contacted the dealership claiming the second payment had been made accidentally and requested that it be transferred into Nonyane’s account.
Documents prove to be crucial
The Hawks colonel told the court buying a luxury vehicle was not simply a matter of arriving with millions and leaving with the keys.
“Both the accused were informed that when purchasing the vehicle, especially in those types of dealers, it’s not something that you buy like bread, where you pop out the money and buy. There are certain documents that are required,” he said.
Those documents would prove crucial.
The dealership required authority from the Masha family before releasing the G63.
According to Makuwa, the required power of attorney could not be produced.
The wheels of the G-Wagon deal effectively stopped turning.
Investigators then went to the Master of the High Court and obtained the deceased’s estate file. Makuwa said their investigation established that Nonyane and Tibana were not beneficiaries entitled to the money.
“They were not entitled to this money. Accused 2 made a misrepresentation at Mercedes Benz that the money was his,” Makuwa testified.
Watertight case
He was emphatic about the State’s case against Nonyane.
“We’ve got a watertight case against [Nonyane] because he was the one who was playing a big role in purchasing this vehicle.”
Makuwa said investigators had scrutinised the bank accounts provided to Mercedes-Benz.
Asked whether Nonyane necessarily knew where the money originated, Makuwa relied partly on the relationship between the accused, telling the court the two were husband and wife and Nonyane would therefore know his wife’s financial circumstances.
But perhaps the most striking evidence came from the woman allegedly waiting on the other side of the estate.
Makuwa testified that when he interviewed the deceased’s widow, she confirmed knowing Tibana as administrator of the estate but denied authorising her husband’s money to purchase the G-Wagon.
According to Makuwa, she told him:
“Colonel, I’m still waiting for the money. I don’t know what is happening. I’m in the dark about my husband’s money that I’m entitled to being used to purchase the vehicle.”
The testimony forms part of the State’s opposition to bail and remains allegations which have not yet been tested at trial.
Nonyane and Tibana are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
- Peter "Gagash" Nonyane and his wife Charlotte Tibana are accused of using R1.65 million from a deceased man's estate to attempt to buy a Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 SUV.
- Investigators traced bank transfers from the late Masha's estate account to the Wonderboom Mercedes-Benz dealership in Pretoria, where the vehicle purchase was negotiated.
- The dealership required authorization from the Masha family and a power of attorney before releasing the G-Wagon, which could not be produced, stalling the transaction.
- The deceased's widow testified she did not authorize the use of the estate's money for the vehicle purchase and was unaware her husband's funds were being used.
- The State's case against Nonyane and Tibana is based on alleged fraud and money-laundering, with both applying for bail pending trial and presumed innocent until proven guilty.
High-flying
But the bread needed paperwork.
Makuwa took the stand in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday as the State sought to demonstrate the strength of its fraud and money-laundering case against
READ: 'Suicide' recording shock at TMPD officer Peter '
Makuwa, who leads an eight-member Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team, told the court investigators had traced transfers from an account belonging to the estate of the late
“
“
At the centre of the deal was no ordinary runaround.
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Investigators followed the paperwork and allegedly discovered
He said
“Accused 2 was the one leading the negotiations though the money was coming from Accused 1 through the estate of the deceased.”
Makuwa said the deal was finalised on October 28 2024, with R1.65-million deposited into the dealership that day.
But another R100,000 allegedly followed from the same estate account.
“
Investigators then went to the Master of the High Court and obtained the deceased's estate file. Makuwa said their investigation established that
“
He was emphatic about the State's case against
“We've got a watertight case against [
Makuwa said investigators had scrutinised the bank accounts provided to Mercedes-Benz.
Asked whether
But perhaps the most striking evidence came from the woman allegedly waiting on the other side of the estate.
Makuwa testified that when he interviewed the deceased's widow, she confirmed knowing Tibana as administrator of the estate but denied authorising her husband's money to purchase the G-Wagon.
“Colonel, I'm still waiting for the money. I don't know what is happening. I'm in the dark about my husband's money that I'm entitled to being used to purchase the vehicle.”
