MMBATHO -The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) of South Africa has withdrawn fraud charges against Tumelo Letlojane (35), the former Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Ratlou Local Municipality, along with Maikano Keikantsemang Sedumedi, who is still employed as a payroll clerk at the municipality in the North West. The Mmabatho Specialised Commercial Crime Court cleared all charges during proceedings on Wednesday.

The matter followed their arrest in September last year by the Potchefstroom-based Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation unit.

Letlojane’s legal representative, Adv. Samuel Ntsizi, said: “This withdrawal marks the definitive end to a highly publicised legal battle stemming from allegations of fraud brought forward by the Hawks in September 2025 regarding municipal appointments and allowances. From the onset, Letlojane maintained his innocence, asserting that the allegations were entirely without merit.”

Ntsizi said the decision by the NPA to drop all charges vindicates Letlojane’s stance and confirms that there was no basis for a criminal prosecution.

Letlojane, who holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom) in Financial Accounting, has expressed relief and gratitude that his name has been cleared, noting that the widespread media coverage of his initial arrest caused undue harm to his professional and personal reputation.

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“I have always acted in the best interest of accountability and clean governance,” said Letlojane. “While the public allegations were damaging, today’s formal withdrawal proves what we have said all along that I committed no wrongdoing. I look forward to putting this chapter behind me and continuing my professional career with my integrity fully intact.”

With the case officially closed and all charges dropped, Letlojane requested that all media platforms and publications that widely publicised his arrest now update their records, publish this formal correction to ensure fair, balanced, and accurate reporting.