Vimpie Manthata loses application to bar media from reporting on his R27 million fraud case


Johannesburg businessman Vimpie Phineas Tlafelang Manthata has lost his application to bar the media from reporting on his fraud case going forward, citing reputational damage as the reason.

During proceedings in the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Monday, Manthata’s attorney applied to the court for an order requesting the media to refrain from reporting on the case.

According to Investigative Directorate spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, the reason provided by the attorney was that it caused significant damage to his reputation as a businessman who operates internationally.

His co-accused, Daniel Rothman, made a similar application through his attorney, arguing that he is a well-known professional bookkeeper who runs an accounting practice.

However, the Investigating Directorate’s Senior State Advocate Tilas Chabalala, argued strongly against these applications.

“Chabalala highlighted that the media has a right to freedom of expression as it represents the general public interest.

“He further argued that the media reports had the objective facts about the case, showing no evidence that the accused were defamed.”

The court agreed with the state and dismissed these applications.

Manthata is facing charges of fraud and contravention of the Tax Administration Act, during the 2016/2017 and 2018/2019 tax assessment period, to which SARS and the National Treasury allegedly lost over R27 million through misrepresented tax returns.

“He is charged with his company, Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement, Judy Rose, who is employed as a tax practitioner in the company and Daniel Rothman, a registered tax practitioner providing services to the company.”

The trio are out on bail of R10,000.

The matter was adjourned to July 30 for the accused to review the case docket provided by the state before the trial commences.

-IOL News

In other news – #RIPMphoSebeng: Natasha Thahane under fire over her reaction to Mpho Sebeng’s death

Well-known South African actress Natasha Thahane has been labeled “dramatic” following her reaction to the news of Mpho Sebeng’s death. Sebeng, who was a child star and thespian, tragically died in a car accident in Potchefstroom, North West, in the early hours of Sunday, 5 May.

Mpho Sebeng and Natasha Thahane

As tributes continue to pour in from the actor’s colleagues, Thahane – who shared the screen with Sebeng on Saints and Sinners – posted a screenshot of her phone log to indicate she is in disbelief and she’s been trying to get ahold of him since the tragic news. Read More


#Vimpie #Manthata #loses #application #bar #media #reporting #R27 #million #fraud #case

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *