Nine years jail time for buried money

Date: 17 May 2019 By: Andries van Zyl

The two Fidelity security guards who were arrested on 16 January this year after almost R2,6 million was found buried in the ground were each sentenced to nine years direct imprisonment in the Louis Trichardt Regional Court on Monday.

The 31-year-old Rofhiwa Emmanuel Luvhimbi from Ha Ravele and 41-year-old Tinyiko Thomas Maluleke from Elim both pleaded guilty on 3 April this year to stealing the money. The money was stolen from their employer at the time, Fidelity CIT in Louis Trichardt, between the period of 14 December 2018 and 16 January 2019.

The two were arrested after a team of operatives comprising members derived from the Provincial Organized Crime unit, Crime Intelligence, the Makhado Task Team and Thohoyandou Tactical Response Team (TRT) were assembled to conduct a well-coordinated operation at different identified sites. This after information was received of a substantial amount of money that went missing from Fidelity in Louis Trichardt.

The operation, which commenced on the afternoon of 16 January, proceeded through the night until the next morning. Characterized by relentless searches, probing and digging by the members at three different premises, the effort produced positive results when the cash was found buried in the backyards of the identified sites. Some of the cash was found stashed in ice cream containers and refuse bags.

Although the police initially recovered just over R2,6 million in stolen money, the amount on the charge sheet that went missing totalled just over R2,9 million. One of the suspects had already also bought a double-cab vehicle, which was confiscated by the police.

Viewed: 898

Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

More photos...