The Pretoria Central Police Station investigating team has urged members of the public who may have been defrauded by bogus attorney Petrus Makhabane Thobejane to come forward and open criminal cases against him.
It is believed that Thobejane has defrauded his clients millions of rand.
Thobejane was arrested recently after a total of 32 cases were opened against him at the Pretoria Central Police Station.
According to the information that has been handed to the police, the suspect had been instructed by his clients to attend to the transfer of properties on their behalf.
But Thobejane did not attend to the transfer of these documents and also did not pay over the proceeds of the sale of these properties to the purchasers.
“It has been determined that he defrauded his clients money amounting to R7 758 417.77 (Seven million seven hundred and fifty eight thousand and four hundred and seventeen rand seventeen cents),” said Pretoria Central Police Station Corporate Communications Officer Constable Thabang Nkhumise.
“The detective branch commander Colonel Ndala had assigned the docket to the fraud tracing team who managed to trace and arrest the suspect at Midrand last week and he appeared at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court this week,” said Nkhumise.
He said the suspect remains in custody pending further investigations and a formal bail application.
“While the investigation is taking place we urge those who have fallen victim to Thobejane’s dirty tricks to come forth and lodge their complaints against him,” he said.
Nkhumise revealed that Thobejane was running his syndicate at the following address:
109 Central Towers, 286 Pretoria Street, Pretoria.
“We can attest to the fact that Mr Thobejane’s license to practice law was suspended on 23 September 2023 and that he was struck off the roll of legal practitioners on 5 March 2024,” said Nkhumise.
For further information or enquiries the public may contact Warrant Officer H Nabal on 083 443 8872 or alternatively dial Sergeant F Mahlangu on 078 593 0350
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