Former PAC national president in court on fraud charges

Luthando Mbinda, who was expelled some years ago as national president of the PAC, defrauded the party of about R2.4 million.

CAPE TOWN, April 23 (ANA) – A former leader of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) has appeared in the Bellville specialised commercial crimes court on charges of fraud and theft involving R2.4 million (US$168,139).

Luthando Richmond Mbinda, aged 60, who was expelled some years ago as national president of the PAC, handed himself over to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) offices in Bellville, spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Philani Nkwalase said in a statement.

Mbinda is the third suspect arrested by the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation team in the matter. Alleged accomplices Gcobani Katiya and Ramarumo Edward Mfulane were arrested and appeared in the same court on April 9, but later released on a warning.

In May 2017, after Mbinda was expelled from the PAC, he along with Katiya and Mfulane allegedly went to Nedbank in Durbanville and opened three bank accounts in the name of the party.

“Thereafter the accused allegedly informed the finance department of Parliament that funds owed to the PAC be transferred into the Nedbank account and not the existing Absa account on record for the party at Parliament,” Nkwalase said.

Parliament paid R1,448,053.51 to the stated accounts and the money was allegedly withdrawn by the accused.

In March 2019 Mbinda then went to First National Bank and opened more accounts in the name of LRMbinda trading as Azania, and then again instructed Parliament’s finance department to transfer funds owed to the PAC to those accounts. He received a total of R995,669.50.

The PAC consequently suffered a loss of R2.4 million as a result of the fraud, said Nkwalase. The matter is expected back in court on May 19.

– African News Agency (ANA), Editing by Stella Mapenzauswa