Fraud accused Peter 'Gagash' Nonyane and attorney wife denied bail
Bail has been denied to fraud-accused Tshwane Metro Police officer Peter 'Gagash' Nonyane and his attorney wife, Charlotte Tibane.
The Polokwane Magistrate’s Court has dismissed the bail application of Tshwane Metro Police officer Peter “Gagash” Nonyane and his attorney wife Charlotte Tibane.
The couple appeared before the Polokwane Magistrates Court, where they face 43 charges of fraud, theft and money laundering linked to several deceased estates, allegedly committed between 2024 and 2026.
They have been in custody since their arrest in August.
Delivering judgment on Friday, Magistrate Godfrey Netshiozwi said the State had presented a strong case against the accused, adding that they failed to prove it would be in the interests of justice for them to be released on bail.
Netshiozwi found that the pair allegedly acted in common purpose in committing the offences.
“The alleged transfer of estate money into different accounts and later into the stokvel account in which accused 2 (Nonyane) is a member, is testimony to the common purpose and both accused were fully aware that accused 2 is not a beneficiary of the estate administered by accused 1 (Tibane) and accused 1 as well is not a beneficiary,” he said.
READ: Tshwane Metro cop's wife sought to stop estate fraud investigation, court told
Netshiozwi also raised concern that Tibane remains an executor in the affected estates, warning that her position could create a risk of interference with both the investigation and beneficiaries if released.
“Further evidence has established that accused 1, before she opened her own practice, worked at the Master's office, to suggest that she is familiar with the operations of the Master's office.
It is common purpose that, in the estates from which these charges arose, there are problems, and one wonders why the Master of the High Court cannot intervene to rescue the beneficiaries by revoking such appointments,” he added.
He further ruled that releasing Nonyane while Tibane remained behind bars would not mitigate the risks, given their relationship and alleged joint conduct.
“If the court releases accused number two from custody, it is like removing an engine from a car and expecting the car to run without an engine. The accused are a married couple,” Netshiozwi said.
The court also heard that the accused had allegedly attempted to communicate with State witnesses while in custody, raising further concerns about potential interference.
In addition, the magistrate questioned how Nonyane was able to secure financing for a Mercedes-Benz V300 while earning around R11,000 a month.
The matter has been postponed to 6 November 2026 for further investigation.
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