The Gqeberha based serious Commercial Crime Investigation of the Hawks has arrested three suspects aged between 44 and 49 who are believed to be ring leaders of the Public Assets Community Based Tenants and Owners Association (PACTOA).
The arrests of the trio were made yesterday, and they are due to appear before the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court today, October 11, on charges of fraud alternatively theft.
“It is alleged that between August 2017 and 2022, PACTOA in Mthatha illegally invaded several properties belonging to the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC). It is further alleged that the association claimed monthly rentals from tenants of the invaded properties for their personal use.”
“The arrested suspects are alleged to have either collected the rental monies themselves or have it deposited into their bank accounts,” said Eastern Cape Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela.
Mgolodola says the matter was reported to the Hawks in 2019 which led to the arrest of the trio.
“The investigation revealed that the ECDC was prejudiced money to the value of R40 million,” she added.
The arrest of the trio comes after a joint operation led by the Hawks together with the national intervention unit, crime intelligence gathering and public order policing who raided the Windsor Hotel looking for the kingpins behind PACTOA on October 7.
The hotel is one of the properties the association is alleged to have invaded.
