BLOEMFONTEIN – A fraud-accused Bloemfontein advocate, Siseko Leonard Cengcani (55), together with a previously convicted fraudster, Tshadi Annah Molelekoa-Taso (44), continue their bid for bail in a property fraud case.
Nomalizwe Brenda Nkwane (45) and Nontsikelelo Grace Mkololo (41) were accused along with Cengcani and Molelekoa. They were released on Wednesday 18 March. Each had their bail set at R2 500. Their bail has strict conditions, including a legal obligation to return to court for all scheduled proceedings. The advocate’s company, Cengcani and Associates, is also included in the fraud case. Purportedly, for its involvement in the embezzlement of R1,1 million.
READ: Fraud-accused advocate to seek bail amid ongoing property sales investigation
The Bloemfontein Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team arrested the suspects on Monday 16 March. WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the arrest followed intensive investigations. These investigations focused on the alleged defrauding of several property buyers. These properties were advertised in a local newspaper.
It emerged that during 2020, the suspects allegedly swindled the victims through entities Blueprint Corner, QST Trading, Anti-Poverty and Senothesha. Matoti said after complainants viewed the advertised properties through an agent, they entered into purchase agreements.
“However, after making payments, the complainants neither received the properties nor any refunds. An investigation revealed that the properties in question were never for sale, rendering the transactions invalid. The complainants suffered a financial prejudice of approximately R1 135 000, combined,” said Matoti.
Molelekoa-Taso has a previous fraud conviction which involved R5,6 million in fraudulent property sales in Bloemfontein. In November 2019, she was sentenced alongside her business partner and husband, Teboho Samuel Taso. They received a ten-year sentence, wholly suspended for five years. They were found guilty of swindling 64 victims through their estate agency Senothetsha Property Developer and Quick Step Trading 545, between 2011 and 2013. They entered a plea that they would reimburse the victims an estimated R5,6 million. The repayment deadline as ordered by the court was January 2023.
