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ANOTHER ‘FACATA’ SCAMMER ARRESTED FOR OVER E500 000 THEFT

By KWANELE SIBIYA | 2025-01-10

Another facata scammer has been arrested for allegedly defrauding members of the public over half a million Emalangeni.

Sinenkhosi Ncamiso Sikhosana (19) from Thulwane appeared before Manzini Principal Magistrate Florence Msibi charged with 70 counts.

The counts comprised of theft by false pretences, contravening the Prevention of Organised Crime Act of 2018, Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention) Act of 2011, and the Computer Crime and Cybercrime Act 6 of 2022.

Sikhosana is alleged to have defrauded Martha Ntombi Nyamane an amount of E438 217.17.
According to the charge sheet, Sikhosana, who allegedly committed the offence in September in Mbabane, did unlawfully and with intent to defraud and steal, misrepresent to Nyamane that he was assisting her to remove hacking viruses from her cellphone and bank accounts.

He is alleged to have by means of the said misrepresentation obtained and stole from Nyamane, the aforementioned amount of money, thus committing the crime of theft by false pretences.

He was remanded in custody pending his committal to the High Court.
Meanwhile, Sikhosana’s arrest came shortly after he was released from prison on his own cognisance on Monday.

Police
This came after police intervened and saved him from being shot by an angry man who accused him of being in a relationship with his 15-year-old daughter.

Sikhosana had been arrested by Mafutseni police and slapped with two counts of contravening the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence (SODV) Act.

The first count was that of rape in that he had unlawful sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl. The second count was that of maintaining a sexual relationship with the 15- year-old girl.
Sikhosana appeared before Judge Zonke Magagula, where he made an application for bail.

The judge ordered that Sikhosana be released on his own cognisance after he stated that he would plead not guilty and that he was a breadwinner, staying with his mother as his father passed away a long time ago.

The judge warned Sikhosana not to set foot in his home area and also not interfere with witnesses in the case.

Meanwhile, over 40 ‘facata’ scammers who are said to have been responsible for stealing monies from unsuspecting members of the public amounting to millions of Emalangeni by tricking them into punching numbers on their phones, only for money to be remotely withdrawn from their Mobile Money (MoMo) and bank accounts, have been arrested.

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