BLOEMFONTEIN – Bloemfontein-based advocate Siseko Leonard Cengcani (55), implicated in alleged property sale fraud, was granted bail alongside Tshadi Annah Molelekoa-Taso (44) with strict conditions. The Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court granted the pair bail today – Tuesday, 24 March. They were remanded in custody for several days while their co-accused Nomalizwe Brenda Nkwane (45) and Nontsikelelo Grace Mkololo (41) were released last Wednesday on bail set at R2,500.
These individuals, including Cengcani’s company, Cengcani Associates, stand accused of allegedly defrauding property buyers of about R1.1 million through a property scam in Bloemfontein.
WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said the court granted Cengcani and his company Cengcani Associates bail of R5,000 each while previously convicted fraudster Molelekoa-Taso’s bail was set at R20,000.
Matoti said the court set strict conditions for both Molelekoa-Taso and Cengcani. “Cengcani’s bail conditions include that he hands over his passport to the investigating officer. Molelekoa-Taso’s bail conditions include surrendering her passport and notifying the investigating officer at least seven days prior to travelling outside the Mangaung district,” said Matoti.
Their bail conditions include a legal obligation to return to court for all scheduled proceedings, conditions that also apply to their two co-accused Mkololo and Nkwane.
The Bloemfontein Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team arrested the accused based on prima facie evidence gathered during an investigation. Matoti said the investigation discovered that during 2020, the suspects allegedly swindled the victims by advertising properties through entities Blueprint Corner, QST Trading, Anti-Poverty and Senothesha.
It emerged that these properties were never listed for sale by their rightful owners and the accused never reimbursed victims who deposited different amounts of money into the specified bank account.
Molelekoa-Taso was convicted and sentenced alongside her husband Teboho Samuel Taso for the biggest property scam that involved R5.6 million in Bloemfontein in 2019. Evidence revealed they used the same modus operandi – advertising properties whose owners never listed them for sale.
