Rirhandzu Tibana and Jabulani Maluleke were granted bail of R60 000 each in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court in the multi-million-rand estate fraud and money laundering case.
The Polokwane Magistrate’s Court has granted bail of R60 000 each to accused Rirhandzu Tibana and Jabulani Maluleke in the multi-million-rand estate fraud and money laundering case.
The court found that the applicants are not likely to commit further offences, endanger the public or abscond.
The Tibanas are siblings while Maluleke is the friend of the couple. Charlotte Tibana is the head of a law firm, Charlotte Tibana Attorneys, which was administering the estate accounts of the families.
They’re now facing 123 counts of fraud, theft and money laundering.
In granting bail, Magistrate Mpho Radebe said the court had considered the applicants’ personal circumstances, the evidence before it and the investigating officer’s position that their release would not create a risk to the public or the investigation.
“This court finds that indeed the details of the case do permit that I release them from custody. Therefore, bail is then granted.”
Radebe set the bail amount at R60,000 for each accused, saying the court had considered the seriousness of the allegations, the possible punishment if convicted, as well as their family, business and community ties.
“What is properly suitable as a bail quantum is an amount of 60,000 that comes with normal legal conditions.”
The magistrate further ordered both accused to report to police every Friday before 18:00.
“Both applicants shall then report to their nearest police station every Friday before 18 hours. Accused number three at the Letsitele [Police Station] and accused number four at Pretoria Central.”
Tibana must also report to Letsitele police station, while Maluleke must report to Pretoria Central police station every Friday evening.
Radebe postponed the matter to November 06 for Tibana and Maluleke to join Charlotte Tibana and her husband, Tshwane Metro Police Department officer Peter “Gagash” Nonyane, as investigations continue.
The investigation initially centred on allegations involving the estates of the late Isaiah Masha and Jacob Mathabatha.
According to evidence presented in court, approximately R650,000 from the Masha estate and R1.1 million from the Mathabatha estate were allegedly combined in an attempt to purchase a pre-owned Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 worth about R1.65 million at a dealership in Wonderboom, Pretoria.
The State alleges that the money was unlawfully taken from estate accounts administered by Charlotte Tibana, who had acted as executor.
The proposed luxury-vehicle transaction raised questions at the dealership when documentation authorising the use of the estate funds was requested. The transaction subsequently became a key part of the investigation.
The couple initially faced 43 charges of fraud, theft and money laundering before the investigation expanded and additional alleged transactions and accused were brought into the case.
Rirhandzu Tibana and Maluleke, a close associate of Nonyane, were subsequently arrested on 27th September and joined as accused alongside Charlotte Tibana and Nonyane.
The State alleges that money originating from deceased estates was transferred through different accounts, including an account linked to Risima Jeje Trading Enterprise, of which Maluleke is a director.
The State also alleges that Rirhandzu received funds linked to the alleged scheme and that some of the money was used in transactions involving vehicles.
The company Risima Jeje Trading Enterprise has also been joined as an accused in the matter.