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Parolee denied bail for impersonating Hawks boss in fraud case
Thabo Theletsane appeared before the Hatfield Magistrates court on charges of impersonating a police officer.
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A parolee was denied bail on Monday after allegedly defrauding businesspeople and impersonating the national head of Hawks, Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya.
Thabo Enoch Theletsane, 41, faced charges of fraud and impersonation during a hearing at the Hatfield Magistrate's Court.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Theletsane contacted a prominent businessman via WhatsApp, using a profile picture of Lebeya, the former National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI). This incident occurred while he was out on parole, having been released on 24 October 2024 after serving a sentence for previous fraud offences.
During the call, he allegedly claimed his phone had been hacked and that the businessman would be contacted by 'Mr. Mokoena,' purportedly a police officer from the cybercrime unit.
"Posing as 'Mr. Mokoena,' Theletsane allegedly told the businessman that his phone had been hacked and offered to 'clean' it. He is accused of requesting the businessman's frequently used contact numbers, which he then obtained. The accused allegedly asked the businessman to make a payment for a hard drive to store his information; however, this payment was not made," said the NPA in a statement released on Monday.
In a separate incident, Theletsane allegedly contacted another complainant using the numbers supplied by this businessman.
He allegedly told the second complainant that their phone had been hacked and requested a payment of R50,000 for a hard drive to store their information. The complainant paid the money.
However, after realising they were defrauded, both victims reported the matter to the police a week later, on November 1, 2024. Following an investigation, Theletsane was arrested on May 10, 2025.
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In court, Theletsane requested bail, claiming he had the responsibility to provide for his seven children and another child on the way.
He further argued that the parole board had indicated it would reconsider revoking his parole if he were granted bail.
However, Prosecutor Dikeledi Moganyaka opposed the bail application, presenting an affidavit from investigating officer Mpho Phantinah Dlamini. The affidavit revealed that Theletsane had deliberately provided a false address during the investigation and had two prior convictions for fraud and forgery from 2020, making him a likely candidate to reoffend if released.
In delivering judgment, the magistrate agreed with the State that the accused has a propensity to commit crimes since he is alleged to have committed the current offences just days after being released on parole. The court also found his claims about the parole board to be unsubstantiated and ruled that releasing him would not be in the interest of justice.
The matter was postponed to September 2, 2025 for transfer to Court 16 at the Pretoria Magistrate's Court.
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