A Zimbabwean man, Tafadzwa Muyambo (41), suffered another blow in the money laundering criminal case following his jail sentence of eight years. He was sentenced on Tuesday, 8 October by the Free State Special Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Welkom.
This sentencing ended the saga which was ongoing after Muyambo was arrested together with Inoque Ziezie Muchanga on 26 November 2021. WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson for the Hawks, said Muyambo pleaded guilty to aiding a disclosed party to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities.
“The court sentenced Muyambo to eight years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on the condition that he is not found guilty of contravention of the Prevention of Organized Crime Act (Poca) during the period. The case was withdrawn against Muchanga,” she said.
The police nabbed the two men on 26 November 2021, after failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for being in possession of a large amount of cash found in two plastic bags, in the boot of the car they were travelling in. The police were busy with a routine stop and search operation on the R726 road outside Kroonstad when they busted them.
“They tried to offer the police a gratification of R500 000 and they were arrested on charges of corruption, money laundering, and contravention of the Immigration Act. The two accused further revealed that the money was a pay-out from illicit cigarettes,” said Matoti.
The case was referred to the Welkom Serious Organised Crime Investigation team for further probing, resulting in a preservation of the money plus the vehicle on 8 February 2022. Matoti said the confiscated cash totalling to R1 399 900.00 was paid into the Criminal Asset Recovery Account (Cara).
Muyambo was stuck the first blow in March 2022, when forfeiting R1.4 million and a Volkwagen Polo after a preservation order was granted to the National Director of Public Prosecutions’ (NDPP) Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU). He was unsuccessful in the bid to oppose the preservation order. The Free State High Court ruled both the cash and the vehicle were proceeds of crime.
In addition, the court found his explanation that a business partner gave him R1.5 million for operational costs as part of the transport business and the circumstances surrounding the route the money travelled, were quite peculiar. In his court papers, Muyambo stated he was given the cash in Parys earlier on the day of their arrest.
