NORTH WEST – Priscilla Zingiwe Molosiwa (63) was convicted by the Mmabatho Regional Court for three counts of fraud.
It is alleged that in September 2011, the accused purported to be a real estate agent and represented a homeowner who wanted to sell her house in Montshiwa. The accused subsequently found a buyer who made a transfer of R200 000 into her bank account as she had allegedly represented herself as the facilitator to transfer the property. She however appropriated the money for her own benefit and failed to facilitate the transfer.
She used the same modus operandi on another unsuspecting victim in December 2013. After the potential buyer transferred an amount of R294 000 which was the purchase price of another property in Montshiwa, she allegedly only transferred R100 000 to the seller and kept the balance for herself.
Her third stint was in May 2014 in the same township where she again used the same modus operandi to defraud yet another buyer who had transferred R350 000 to purchase a house.
The three counts of fraud were investigated by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation and it was discovered that the accused was not registered with the Estate Agents Board. She was summoned to appear before the Mmabatho Regional Court on 26 February 2019 where she was released on R2000 bail.
She was then found guilty for three counts of fraud on 14 February 2022 and remanded in custody until she was sentenced on 08 April 2022. For count 1 and 2, she was sentenced to three(3) years imprisonment each and sentenced to five (5) years imprisonment for count 3.
The court made an order in terms of section 280 of the Criminal Procedure Act that sentences on count 1 and 2 must be served concurrently with the sentence on count 3. The accused will therefore serve an effective five years jail term.
Additionally, Molosiwa was served with a court order in terms of section 18(1) of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998 (confiscation order) of which she has until 28 July 2022 to file responding affidavits.
The Provincial Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation in North West – Major General Patrick Mbotho welcomed the sentence and commended the investigating officer and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for their work.
