GEORGE NEWS -  The Thembalethu Regional Court has sentenced Kwezi Tshuku (29) on 23 January for the contravention of Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020.

This sentence stems from March 2022 when two accused, Kwezi Tshuku and Zixolisile Skade, where observed performing fraudulent card transactions at a Shell filling station in George.

Police intervened and searched the accused, finding them to be in possession of several counterfeit government fleet cards and 15 x 25-litre of containers containing fuel. 

Further investigation revealed that all the transactions were done with the fleet cards and the information on the magnetic strips belonged to the Nedbank fleet. The matter was referred to the Hawks serious commercial crime investigation unit based in George for probing.

Tshuku faced several charges. On the first three he was sentenced to a fine of R15 000 or three years imprisonment, of which R5 000 or one year was suspended for a period of five years on  the condition that the accused not be convicted of the contravention of Section 8 of the Cybercrimes Act during the period of suspension.

On a further two charges, he was handed a fine of R20 000 or five years imprisonment of which half is suspended in terms of Section 297 of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977 for the period of five years on condition that the accused not to be convicted of contravention of Section 8 of the Cybercrimes Act 19 of 2020 committed during the period of suspension.

Tshuku will effectively serve four and a half years imprisonment or pay a fine of R20 000.

The court further ordered that the accused be declared unfit to possess a firearm in terms of section 103(3) of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000. A further confiscation order in terms of Section 18 of the Poca was granted and the accused was then ordered to pay an additional R5 000.

The charges against the other accused, Zoxolisile Skade, were withdrawn.

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