Fraud and insurance murder accused Limpopo cop sergeant Rachel Shokane-Kutumela has abandoned bail.Â
Shokane-Kutumela appeared in the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on Friday, 1 November, alongside her 47-year-old sister, Annah Shokane, a nurse at Cintocare Private Hospital in Menlyn, and her 23-year-old daughter, Madjadji Shokane, a caregiver at an old age home in Pretoria North.Â
INSURANCE MURDER ACCUSED LIMPOPO COP ABANDON BAILS
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the three accused, who reside in Moletjie Ga-Maleka and Ga Matlala, are facing 32 charges, including nine counts of murder, money laundering, receiving proceeds from unlawful activities, fraud, and defeating the ends of justice.Â
The accused were initially expected to proceed with their bail application; however, their attorney informed the court that they had decided to abandon the bail hearing.
NPA spokesperson in Limpopo Mashudu Malabi-Dzhangi said the allegations against Kutumela and her sister include the fraudulent procurement of life, accidental, and funeral insurance policies for several victims. Through these policies, they allegedly claimed a total of approximately R20 million as sole beneficiaries, sharing the illicit gains amongst themselves.
During the bail hearing, the insurance murder accused cop admitted to transferring R500 000 to her sister, applicant number two, to purchase a Toyota Land Cruiser and a Range Rover at an auction in Pretoria in 2020.Â
Kutumela indicated that the vehicles were registered under her sister’s name due to COVID-19 restrictions, preventing her from transferring ownership.Â
The accused reportedly received insurance payouts through various service providers, including ABSA, Standard Bank, Capitec, Hollard, Sanlam, King Price, First National Bank, Assupol, Old Mutual, Onelife, and Clientele.
Malabi-Dzhangi said the alleged crimes, spanning from 2013 to 2024, involved multiple insured individuals who subsequently died under suspicious circumstances.Â
Tragically, the cases include incidents where a woman was burned in her shack, and a disabled man drowned in a dam. The victims hailed from Soweto, Sebokeng, Matlerekeng, Lebowakgomo, and Seshego, with one victim being an uncle of the accused.Â
The case has been postponed to 7 February 2025 for further investigation, and all accused remain in custody until that date.
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