PRETORIA – Johannes Mohlala (60), former manager of Fetakgomo-Tubatse Local Municipality, was sentenced to five years in prison, suspended for five years, by the Pretoria High Court on November 6, 2024. He must not be convicted of the same offense during this time and must pay R100,000 to the Curator of VBS.
In the VBS investigation, accused number 1, Mr. Mohlala, pleaded guilty under Section 105A of the Criminal Procedure Act, 1977, for violating Section 173(1) of the MFMA and was sentenced the same day.
Mr. Ratau (42) did not attend court, leading to a warrant for his arrest. The case is set for bail forfeiture on November 18, 2024.
Keaobaka Remigious Kgatitsoe was sentenced to five years in prison, wholly suspended for five years, in the Pretoria Specialized Commercial Crime Court on July 12, 2022, for the Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality case involving VBS investments.
Mohlala (60), former Municipal Manager; Ratau (42), former CFO of Fetakgomo Tubatse Local Municipality; and businessman Keaobaka Kgatitsoe (44) were arrested in Pretoria on 16 November 2021 for allegedly violating the Municipal Finance Management Act, 2003, by investing municipal funds with VBS Mutual Bank. The investigation found that the municipality invested R230 million in five tranches from 15 November 2016 to 19 February 2018.
The three individuals appeared in the Pretoria Specialized Commercial Crimes Court on November 17, 2021, facing charges of violating the Municipal Finance Management Act, corruption, and money laundering.
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