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A suspicion over thea Pretoria dealership in 2024 is what led to the arrest of Tshwane metro police officer Peter Nonyane, 36, also known as “Lamasweet” or “Greater Gagash Municipality”, and his wife
Nonyane and his wife, attorney Charlotte Tibana, 33, trended on social media on Monday as they appeared in the Polokwane magistrate’s court after their arrests in connection with the alleged unlawful withdrawal and laundering of funds belonging to two deceased estates
The pair allegedly withdrew more than R3m from the accounts
The state alleges that on October 28 2024, funds were unlawfully transferred from the Trust account of a deceased estate into an FNB account of the estate of the late Mr Masha
“On the same day, payments totaling R1.65-million and R100,000 were allegedly made to a Standard Bank account linked to McCarthy Mercedes-Benz Wonderboom for the purchase of a pre-owned Mercedes-Benz AMG G63,” said Mashudu Malabi, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Limpopo
She said further investigation revealed that approximately R1.75m was allegedly unlawfully withdrawn from the estate
“It is alleged that portions of the funds were deposited into Nonyane’s bank account and subsequently laundered through the purchase of the motor vehicle, to the prejudice of the estate and its lawful beneficiaries,” explained Malabi
Across social media, where he has a combined following of close to a million on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram, Nonyane showed off his lavish life, flaunting fancy cars, clothes, alcohol. He is also known as a socialite who would organise flashy events between Gauteng and Giyani in Limpopo. The posts date back to 2021
In one of the TikTok posts, Nonyane claims: “You either work for the money, or you steal it.”
According to the NPA, Tibana, who acted as executor of the two estates, allegedly authorised and facilitated the transfer of money from the estate accounts, resulting in financial losses for the beneficiaries
The NPA alleges that about R1.65m of the money was used to buy a second-hand Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 from a dealership in Pretoria in 2024
The vehicle dealership allegedly raised concerns about thethe funds came from. The matter was subsequently reported to the Hawks
Malabi said the case highlighted the importance of co-operation between law enforcement agencies in tackling complex commercial crimes and protecting vulnerable victims from financial misconduct
Nonyane was arrested in Pretoria last Friday while Tibana was arrested in Polokwane on Monday. Both were remanded in custody and their bail application is expected to be heard on Friday
Tshwane metro police department (TMPD) said it had opened an internal disciplinary investigation into Nonyane
“While both the internal and external investigations are ongoing, the TMPD does not rule out issuing the member with an intention to suspend, pending the outcome of these proceedings
“We wish to reiterate its (TMPD) zero-tolerance stance on criminality and misconduct within its ranks, and it remains committed to upholding the integrity of the department and the trust of the residents of Tshwane.”
