An elderly Gqeberha entrepreneur has been found guilty and sentenced by the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court this week for fraud amounting to more than R1m.
Police spokesperson WO Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said Paul Okechukwu Mkporo, 64, of Giniokem Business Enterprises CC, was sentenced on Wednesday on one count of fraud and ordered to pay a fine of R10,000, wholly suspended for five years.
Mhlakuvana said Mkporo was arrested by the Gqeberha Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation in 2022 and had since appeared in court numerous times alongside his co-accused Goodness Nkosingphile Mthimkhulu, 36, who owns Sunny Blossom Construction and Projects CC.
The case against the latter is still being heard and Mthimkhulu is out on warning.
“The accused were operating as a syndicate, whereby an email address of one of the directors of Keypak (Pty) Ltd was used to create the impression that they were owed money for services rendered.
“The accused in most incidents had sent the emails requesting the payments from a false account not belonging to any of the directors of Keypak.”
Mhlakuvana said the syndicate started its dealings on April 20 2018, when Keypak’s accounting department received an email purportedly from one of the company’s directors.
“It requested payment to be made for an invoice amounting to R136,765 into a bank account belonging to another accomplice.
“The email was received and payment was then processed.
“Three days later a similar email was received and an amount of R234,235 was paid to the same accomplice’s account.
“A further amount of R225,273.59 was reportedly paid thereafter to an account belonging to Mthimkhulu.”
A total amount of more than R200,000 was paid to Sunny Blossom on April 25 2018, and the following day an amount of more than R400,000 was paid to a Giniokem account.
“Once the payment was made into the various accounts, funds were immediately withdrawn by the accused for their personal benefit.
“The matter was handed over to the Hawks for a thorough probe.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that Keypak was prejudiced cash of more than R1.2m.
“Further, investigations established that neither of the accused had performed any work or services, or delivered any goods to Keypak.”
The Herald
Entrepreneur found guilty of fraud amounting to more than R1m
Image: 123RF/STOCKSTUDIO44
An elderly Gqeberha entrepreneur has been found guilty and sentenced by the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court this week for fraud amounting to more than R1m.
Police spokesperson WO Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said Paul Okechukwu Mkporo, 64, of Giniokem Business Enterprises CC, was sentenced on Wednesday on one count of fraud and ordered to pay a fine of R10,000, wholly suspended for five years.
Mhlakuvana said Mkporo was arrested by the Gqeberha Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation in 2022 and had since appeared in court numerous times alongside his co-accused Goodness Nkosingphile Mthimkhulu, 36, who owns Sunny Blossom Construction and Projects CC.
The case against the latter is still being heard and Mthimkhulu is out on warning.
“The accused were operating as a syndicate, whereby an email address of one of the directors of Keypak (Pty) Ltd was used to create the impression that they were owed money for services rendered.
“The accused in most incidents had sent the emails requesting the payments from a false account not belonging to any of the directors of Keypak.”
Mhlakuvana said the syndicate started its dealings on April 20 2018, when Keypak’s accounting department received an email purportedly from one of the company’s directors.
“It requested payment to be made for an invoice amounting to R136,765 into a bank account belonging to another accomplice.
“The email was received and payment was then processed.
“Three days later a similar email was received and an amount of R234,235 was paid to the same accomplice’s account.
“A further amount of R225,273.59 was reportedly paid thereafter to an account belonging to Mthimkhulu.”
A total amount of more than R200,000 was paid to Sunny Blossom on April 25 2018, and the following day an amount of more than R400,000 was paid to a Giniokem account.
“Once the payment was made into the various accounts, funds were immediately withdrawn by the accused for their personal benefit.
“The matter was handed over to the Hawks for a thorough probe.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that Keypak was prejudiced cash of more than R1.2m.
“Further, investigations established that neither of the accused had performed any work or services, or delivered any goods to Keypak.”
The Herald
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