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Man in Court for Pretending to Be Hawks Head in R100K Scam

Published

4 months ago

May 13, 2025

taryn

A Free State man is behind bars after allegedly posing as the national head of the Hawks and swindling a Gauteng businessman out of more than R100,000. The 42-year-old suspect, Thabo Theletsane, appeared in the Hatfield Magistrates Court on Monday following his weekend arrest.

Theletsane was taken into custody by the Hawks’ National Serious Corruption Investigation team on Saturday, 10 May 2025, in Petrus Steyn. He faces charges of fraud and impersonating Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, the head of South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.

Picture: News24

Suspect used fake identity to gain trust

According to Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, Theletsane allegedly contacted a prominent Gauteng businessman via WhatsApp last October, claiming to be General Lebeya. He reportedly used a profile photo and personal details that closely resembled the real Hawks head.

Mbambo said the accused told the victim that their phone had been hacked and, under the pretense of offering assistance, requested the businessman’s personal details and contact information of his associates.

R100,000 allegedly paid for bogus phone fix

The businessman, believing he was speaking to a top law enforcement officer, complied with the requests. Theletsane allegedly later claimed to have removed bugs from the victim’s phone and demanded payment for the service.

An amount exceeding R100,000 was transferred to the accused, according to Mbambo.

The matter was reported to authorities, leading to the suspect’s arrest and court appearance.

Bail hearing set for Thursday

Theletsane remains in custody and is expected to apply for bail on Thursday, 15 May 2025.

Brigadier Mbambo cautioned the public: “The community is warned against making payments to police officers as they are not authorised to solicit money for services rendered.”