Former Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) leader Luthando Mbinda has been convicted of fraud amounting to R995,670 by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court. Image credit The Post Script/ Sibusiso Ndlovu
Former Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) leader Luthando Mbinda has been convicted of fraud amounting to R995,670 by the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Bellville, Cape Town. The court delivered the verdict on Monday, nearly three years after Mbinda handed himself over to the Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation unit.
Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Zinzi Hani confirmed the conviction and outlined the circumstances that led to the case, which dates back to March 2019. “On March 13 2019, Mbinda went to First National Bank (FNB) where he opened two accounts in the name of LR Mbinda trading as Azania 2019,” said Hani.
Mbinda then requested parliament’s finance unit to pay money owed to the PAC into these new FNB accounts instead of the existing ABSA accounts recorded for the party,” Hani went on. R995,670 was paid into the FNB accounts from March 22 to April 4, 2019.
Mbinda’s actions took place nearly two years after he was expelled from the PAC in June 2017, which also raises extremely serious questions regarding the handling of party-related financial matters. Parliament and the PAC suffered financial losses as a result of the fraud.
Mbinda’s two alleged accomplices were also arrested and appeared in court but were let off with a warning, and charges against them have now been withdrawn. Mbinda was acquitted of charges of money laundering.
The court has postponed the matter to June 24 for sentencing.
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