Man arrested for impersonating Hawks head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya! A man was arrested in the Free State on Saturday on charges of fraud and impersonating a police officer.
The 42-year-old man was arrested for specifically impersonating the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks), Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya.
Hawks spokesperson, Brigadier Thandi Mbambo, confirmed the arrest and stated the suspect was trying to extort a businessman.
Godfrey Lebeya
“In October 2024, the suspect allegedly contacted a prominent South African businessman residing in Gauteng via WhatsApp, falsely claiming to be Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya, the National Head of the Hawks.”
“Using a profile picture and personal details resembling those of Lieutenant General Lebeya, the suspect deceived the victim. It is alleged that the suspect claimed that the mobile phone of the victim had been hacked and, under the pretext of assisting with a security breach, requested the victim’s personal information,” Mbambo said.
The businessman, who believed he was indeed communicating with the National Head of the Hawks, provided his personal details and contact information of close associates.
“The suspect later solicited money, claiming to have successfully ‘de-bugged’ the victim’s mobile devices. An amount that is more than R100,000 was subsequently paid by the victim,” Mbambo said.
Head of the Hawks, Lebeya, said he was happy that the suspect who was pretending to be him had been caught.
“Those who have been tricked should come forward,” Lebeya said.
Members of the public are warned against making payments to law enforcement officials, as they are not authorised to solicit money for services rendered.
The suspect is expected to appear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, May 12.
In other news – Amapiano star Kabza De Small taking a break due to flu
Amapiano star Kabza De Small is taking a break from performing this weekend due to flu, which caused him to also skip events during this week.
“Kabza caught flu. He’s not been feeling well for days now and he’s been making efforts to get better. Yesterday [Thursday] they met his team and their decision was that he needs to take a break and work on getting better,” said a source. Read More
