Suspect who impersonated Hawks head to remain in custody
The case against a 42-year-old accused, Thabo Theletsane, has been postponed to Thursday following his appearance in the Hatfield Magistrates’ court on Monday.
Theletsane is facing charges of impersonating a police officer, the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Godfrey Lebeya, and fraud.
His appearance follows his arrest in the Free State on Saturday.
In October last year, he allegedly contacted a prominent South African businessman living in Gauteng via WhatsApp, falsely claiming to be Lebeya.
"The accused deceived the victim," said Hawks spokesperson Katlego Mogale.
"It is alleged that the accused claimed that the mobile phone of the victim had been hacked and, under the pretext of assisting with a security breach, requested the victim’s personal information.
"Believing that he was communicating with the real National Head of the Hawks, the victim provided close associates’ personal details and contact information.
"The accused later solicited money, claiming to have successfully ‘de-bugged’ the victim’s mobile devices. An amount that is more than R100,000 was subsequently paid by the victims."
The matter has been postponed for a formal bail application.
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