Bogus car salesman convicted

The fraudster introduced himself as a second-hand car dealer who sold repossessed vehicles at a reasonable price.

CAPE TOWN, May 27 (ANA) – An Eastern Cape man has been convicted in the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crime Court on charges of vehicle finance fraud.

Sandiso Mgudlwa, 34, was convicted on Wednesday, according to a statement released on Thursday by the spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) Captain Yolisa Mgolodela.

She said the Hawks’ Mthatha Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team investigated the matter after the victim, Msikelelo Kasiphiwo, lodged a complaint.

Mgolodela said it was reported that in July 2018, Mgudlwa met up with Kasiphiwo and introduced himself as a second-hand car dealer who sold repossessed vehicles at a reasonable price.

Mgudlwa showed Kasiphiwo pictures of vehicles that were, according to him, on the market at the time.

Kasiphiwo saw a vehicle he liked and immediately transferred R66,000 (about US$4,800) into Mgudlwa’s bank account to purchase the vehicle.

Mgolodela said it was after the transfer of the money into his bank account that Mgudlwa disappeared and never answered any of Kasiphiwo’s calls, which led to the complaint being lodged.

She said officers probed the matter, which led to Mgudlwa’s arrest on September 17, 2019.

During his first court appearance in the Mthatha Magistrate’s Court on September 19, 2019, the court released Mgudlwa on a warning.

However, as the law ran its course, he eventually pleaded guilty on May 26, 2021.

Mgudlwa is expected to be sentenced on June 2, 2021.

In a separate incident earlier this week, Deon Manuel Gaca, 27, was sentenced in the East London Regional Court on charges of armed robbery.

He was sentenced to six years’ direct imprisonment and was declared unfit to possess a firearm after his involvement in the hijacking of the driver of a British American Tobacco truck delivering goods.

– African News Agency (ANA); Editing by Yaron Blecher