A 38-year-old man from De Aar was sentenced in the De Aar Regional Court to five years’ direct imprisonment for cyber fraud.
Elrico Kaizer Kasper received the sentence on Wednesday, 22 May, says Mojalefa Senokoatsane, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
This sentence followed an incident during March 2023 when Kasper posted on his social media page that “some people” were planning to assassinate Pres. Cyril Ramaphosa during his visit to De Aar. It was scheduled that the president deliver a key note address during Human Rights Day celebrations in De Aar.
A disruptive operation comprising members of the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team and Crime Intelligence took place, and the team located the said accused.
He was taken in for questioning and admitted to have posted such, citing the frustration of being unemployed.
Kasper made numerous court appearances until his sentencing.
The NPA welcomes the sentencing of the accused and hopes this will work as a deterrent to other perpetrators of cybercrimes.
“It is important that people should be aware that dissemination of false information through social media platforms will lead to people being prosecuted,” said Mojalefa.
Maj. Gen. Steven Mabuela, provincial head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks, congratulated the team, including the prosecution team for sterling work done.
