A 64-year-old man and his business have been fined for their roles in a sophisticated fraud scheme that defrauded Keypak (Pty) Ltd of over R1.2 million. File Photo
Image: File Photo
The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Gqeberha, the Eastern Cape, has handed down sentences to 64-year-old Paul Okechukwu Mkporo and his business, Giniokem Business Enterprises CC, for their roles in a sophisticated fraud scheme that defrauded Keypak (Pty) Ltd of over R1.2 million.
Mkporo and his co-accused were apprehended by the Gqeberha Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit in 2022. Following a swift arrest and court appearance that same day, the pair was released on warning pending further legal proceedings.
However, their activities, which were uncovered as part of a larger investigation, painted a troubling picture of deceit and criminal collaboration.
According to Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, the accused operated as a syndicate, exploiting the email address of one of Keypak's directors to create a fraudulent narrative that the company owed them money for services never rendered. This intricate web of deceit began on April 20, 2018, when an email, masquerading as a legitimate request from a company director, was sent to Keypak's accounting department.
“This email led to a payment of R136,765 being processed into a bank account belonging to one of the accomplices,” Mhlakuvana explained.
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Just three days later, another similar email triggered a company payment of R234,235 to the same account. Further amounts following this initial scam included a staggering R225,273.59 paid into an account belonging to Goodness Nkosingphile Mthimkhulu, 36, who is also involved in the ongoing trial related to Sunny Blossom Construction and Projects CC.
Investigations later revealed that the fraudulent activity did not stop there. An additional R200,000 was transferred to Sunny Blossom just days afterwards, along with a deposit of over R400,000 into a Giniokem account. With every transaction made, Mkporo and his associates quickly withdrew the money for personal gains. The Hawks further established that no work, services, or goods had ever been delivered to Keypak by either of the accused.
After a lengthy series of court appearances, Mkporo and his company, Giniokem were sentenced on March 12, 2025. They were both fined R10,000 for a single count of fraud and received five-year suspended sentences.
Meanwhile, Mthimkhulu's trial is still in progress.
sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za
IOL News
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.
Related Topics:
