BLOEMFONTEIN – Two women and a company have been charged with fraud and money laundering in the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court in the Free State. The charges relate to the theft of R57 million from the Central Bank of Lesotho.
Traggulogy (Pty) Ltd and its director, Uthando Lorraine Modise, 37, and Marcious Lerato Lisene, 37, were arrested on Monday following the issuance of warrants for their arrest.
According to Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti, the provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), the relationship between the Hawks and Lesotho Mounted Police Service is flourishing.
Matoti stated that the accused individuals reportedly stole money from the Central Bank of Lesotho in 2021. It is worth noting that both women are South African citizens.
The Priority Crime Specialised Investigation (PCSI) based in Bloemfontein was asked by their counterparts in Lesotho to track down money that was fraudulently obtained from the Central Bank of Lesotho and transferred to various South African companies.
According to Matoti, this crime was committed with the help of Lesotho officials who intercepted vouchers intended for legitimate service providers and redirected payments to their co-conspirators in South Africa.
Some officials have already been brought before a court in Lesotho.
With the assistance of the Financial Intelligence Centre, Matoti discovered that funds had been transferred to a South African bank account under various company names.
Major General Mokgadi Bokaba, Head of the Hawks in the Free State, expressed her gratitude for the increasing cooperation in combating cross-border crime, particularly complex money laundering schemes involving multiple accounts in different countries.
The pair are scheduled to appear in court on March 13th to request bail.
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