A fake estate agent who was not registered with the Estate Agency Affairs Board (EAAB), which regulates the estate agency sector was found guilty of fraud. The man was found guilty by the Bloemfontein Magistrates' Court for defrauding a client of R100 000 which was meant to buy a house.

FOUND GUILTY

Sabata Israel Papane (60) from Mangaung, Free State, was found guilty by the Bloemfontein Magistrate's Court on charges of fraud, money laundering and contravention of the Estate Agency Affairs Act 112 of 1976 on 9 June 2023. The Hawks said that in 2016 the accused was approached by the complainant after the latter developed interest in purchasing a house she saw advertised. Papane is a former SABC's Lesedi FM presenter who was with the public broadcaster for more than 20 years before he left his job in the early 2000s.

HE DID NOT HAVE THE PERMISSION TO SELL THE HOUSE

The complainant contacted the accused to make an offer to purchase and met him at the office he said belonged to him, posing as an estate agent. They both signed a contract drafted by the accused where after the complainant gave him an amount of R100 000. When it was time for the complainant to occupy the house, she discovered that the accused was not mandated by the lawful owner of the house to sell it. "He could not refund the complainant the money paid towards purchasing the house. A case was registered against the accused and was handed over to the Hawks' Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit based in Bloemfontein for further investigation," said Warrant Officer Fikiswa Matoti.

Matoti further said that the accused has been appearing before the Bloemfontein Magistrates' Court for the same case since 2021 until his conviction on 9 June 2023. "He is due to appear in the same court for sentencing on 03 July 2023. He remains in custody," said Matoti.