Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele The Free State Division of the High Court in Bloemfontein on Wednesday, the 3rd, sentenced Sello Cedric Pinkoane (52) to 14 years of direct imprisonment for fraud, uttering, and money laundering worth R64.8 million. In January 2017, the accused approached an elderly businesswoman with a business proposal. He claimed to have obtained a lucrative tender with a leading mining company. He informed the victim that he urgently needed vehicles and cas

Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele A 58-year-old detective from the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit in Fouriesburg was arrested on Friday, the 28th, by the Bethlehem-based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team. The arrest was prompted by intelligence that led the investigator to secure a search warrant and visit the suspect’s home. During the search, the South African Police Service (SAPS) found bags containing cellphones, used buccal samples, unfinished dock

Multi-disciplinary Operation By: Neo Ntsele An extensive operation involving the National Bargaining Council for the Clothing Manufacturing Industry, Crime Intelligence, Hawks, Tactical Response Team (TRT), Public Order Police, K9 Unit, South African Revenue Service (SARS), Department of Home Affairs, Department of Social Development, Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, and Department of Employment and Labour resulted in the arrest of a 47-y

Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele Detectives from the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation have arrested Futhulu Patrick Mothamaha (52), the former municipal manager of Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality, and Lelokonyane Isak Letseng (45), director of Lesedi Khanya Energy, on charges of alleged fraud, theft, money laundering, and violation of the Municipal Finance Management Act concerning electricity transformers. The arrests were made on a warrant on Tuesday, the 18

Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele The Vrede Regional Court on Monday, 17, sentenced Zimbabwean Shepard Vareni (38) to seven years of direct imprisonment for damaging essential infrastructure, another seven years for stealing crude oil, and imposed a R5,000 fine or three months in prison for violating the Immigration Act. He was also deemed unfit to possess a firearm. The sentencing follows an incident on 25 September 2023, when security personnel were alerted to ongoing crude o

Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele The Bloemfontein Regional Court has imposed fines totalling R7 million on Glen Crouch (37) and Simon Cornelius Botha (52) for fraud involving Standard Bank and WesBank. On Monday, 17, Crouch was found guilty on 19 counts of fraud and sentenced to 10 years in prison, with four years suspended for five years. Botha was convicted on two counts of money laundering and received a two-year prison sentence, fully suspended for five years, along with a

Missing boy Onkarabetse Leeuw By: Staff Reporter Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae has made an impassioned plea to the public to assist the police with information in finding Onkarabetse Leeuw of Glen. The 5-year-old went missing on 8 November 2025, exactly four days after his cousin Katleho Joy Leeuw was laid to rest. Katleho too had been missing for days before her body was discovered by a passerby on 25 October 2025. Her uncle has been arrested and charged with murder. Onkar

By: Staff Reporter Members of the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Bloemfontein, assisted by the prison Emergency Support Team, conducted a search-and-seizure operation inside the cells at Zonderwater Correctional Centre in Cullinan, Gauteng. The operation is a result of a complaint involving a WhatsApp extortion scheme in which a Hawks police official was impersonated. In April 2025, an Advocate from the NPA reported to the Hawks Serious Corruption Investigati

Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele Bethlehem Serious Corruption Investigation detectives are looking for victims of a housing scam. This comes after a Bethlehem-based brokerage, Blue Key Properties, is alleged to have lured potential home buyers through an advertisement in a local newspaper. Petrus Wilhemus Viljoen, 57, and Kamolase Sammy Mofokeng, 47, were arrested on a warrant on 30 August 2025. They have already appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrate's Court for fraud, where t

Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele Manini Manco-Mahlaku, 49, a former employee of the Department of Health, appeared before the Sasolburg Magistrate's Court today (Fri) for alleged forgery and uttering of a matric certificate. The accused had reacted to a job advertisement published in April 2011 and was subsequently appointed. Manco-Mahlaku served as a basic ambulance assistant from July 2011. In 2022, information was received that she had allegedly falsified another person's s

Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele Motlatsi Nelson Khalane, 31, made his first court appearance before the Phuthaditjhaba Magistrate Court on Tuesday, 14, where he was granted R5 000 bail after being charged with fraud. Khalane's court appearance follows his arrest by the Bethlehem-based Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation on 13 (Mon) October. It is alleged that Khalane, through his company, applied to the University of the Free State (UFS), Qwa-Qwa Campus, to be cons

Photo: Crime Scene Logo By: Staff Reporter A 49-year-old father was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sasolburg regional court on...

Photo: Crime Scene Logo Supplied By: Neo Ntsele A multi-disciplinary police operation comprising the Hawks' Serious Organised Crime...

Photo: Crime Scene Logo Supplied By: Neo Ntsele Five males aged between 34 and 80 have been served with summonses to appear in court in...

Crime Scene Logo By: Staff Reporter The Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court has placed the case against two men who were arrested for...

Crime Scene Logo By: Neo Ntsele The Sasolburg High Court has on Thursday 24, imposed a befitting sentence on three accused for...

Photo: Crime Scene Logo Supplied By: Neo Ntsele Dihlabeng Local Municipality ghost employees, Reitumetse Moeng 28, and Moeketsi Calvin...

Photo: Crime Scene Logo Supplied: By: Neo Ntsele The Welkom Magistrates Court on Friday 11, sentenced Rammatli Joseph Ntaidate 35, and...

Photo: Crime Scene Logo Supplied By: Neo Ntsele The Edenburg Regional Court sentenced Mxolisi Andrew Khinana 32, and Mduduzi Nephtaly...

Photo: Apprehended Suspects  Supplied By: Neo Ntsele  A multi-disciplinary team led by the Bloemfontein based Hawks' Serious Organised...