IOL reports that a 33-year-old alleged false prophet, who was arrested and charged for defrauding a SA Police Service (SAPS) colonel out of millions, was scheduled to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

SAPS spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Matimba Maluleke said that during September 2022, the victim, who was a colonel in the SAPS based in Limpopo, had been dating a foreign national. “The victim’s boyfriend allegedly introduced her to the suspect as his uncle who also masqueraded as a prophet. The boyfriend and uncle allegedly persuaded the victim to resign so that they can start a flourishing business,” Maluleke reported. The victim resigned from her SAPS post in November last year and received her pension payout of R3.7 million in February this year. Maluleke said that after receiving the money, the victim allegedly handed it over to the suspect “so that he can pray for a successful booming business”. “Shortly after handing over the money, the victim was allegedly sent on a holiday for a few days by her boyfriend and when she returned to the boyfriend’s apartment to check the progress, she unfortunately found that he had already vacated,” Maluleke advised. When the victim realised that she had been scammed she reported the matter to the police. “After conducting a thorough investigation, the suspect was successfully traced and arrested at Burgersfort police station where he was detained for allegedly committing a similar offence,” Maluleke reported. Police are still searching for the boyfriend.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Jolene Marriah-Maharaj at IOL

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