{"id":45070,"date":"2024-03-13T09:18:50","date_gmt":"2024-03-13T07:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/official-nabbed-for-trickery-20240312\/"},"modified":"2025-03-21T00:18:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T22:18:14","slug":"official-nabbed-for-trickery-20240312","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/official-nabbed-for-trickery-20240312\/","title":{"rendered":"Official nabbed for trickery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Former Dihlabeng municipal manager Phakiso Patrick Mokoena (40) was arrested in Bethlehem on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Thursday, 7 March, Mokoena appeared in the Bethlehem Magistrates\u2019 Court after being arrested by the Hawks on the abovementioned charges. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mokoena was appointed as the municipal manager without the municipal procedures being followed, and it was discovered that he had handed in a fraudulent matric certificate on his assumption of duty. He was appointed on a three-month contract for the period February 2022 to April 2022, with R53 000 remuneration per month. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Hawks\u2019 investigators presented a compelling case before the prosecution, which resulted in a warrant for his arrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mokoena was released on bail set at R10 000, and the case was postponed until 10 April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div contenteditable=\"false\" data-embed24=\"Images\" data-pos=\"middle\" id=\"embed_8f9be972\">\n<div class=\"slide\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" data-smallsrc=\"https:\/\/cdn.24.co.za\/files\/Cms\/General\/d\/8293\/6d9a857249424c3aa28cba849150f61b.jpg\" src=\"https:\/\/novanews.co.za\/vrystaatkroon\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/2dfbf15a84b8400b923962c70802733f.jpg\" title=\"Phakiso Patrick Mokoena (40), former Dihlabeng municipal manager, was arrested in Bethlehem on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering.   Photo: Supplied\"><p><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">Phakiso Patrick Mokoena (40), former Dihlabeng municipal manager, was arrested in Bethlehem on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering.   Photo: Supplied<\/div>\n<div class=\"img_accreditation\"><span class=\"source\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><span class=\"photographer\" style=\"display:none;\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Dihlabeng municipal manager Phakiso Patrick Mokoena (40) was arrested in Bethlehem on charges of fraud, theft, and money 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