Tanzanian national receives 25-year sentence for swindling teachers pension fund in South Africa
A 30-year-old Tanzanian national, Lucious Charles Saba, has been sentenced to an effective 25 years behind bars in the King Williams Town Regional Court.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) revealed that Saba successfully swindled two retired teachers out of their hard-earned pension funds, amounting to more than R2.5 million.
Tanzanian Lucious Charles Saba managed to convince two women to withdraw all their pension benefits and give the money to him ‘to invest’.
The elaborate scam unfolded in 2017 when Saba approached two retired teachers, aged 58 and 59, proposing love to each of them separately.
Unbeknownst to each other, both women entered romantic relationships with Saba.
Taking advantage of their trust, Saba convinced them to withdraw their entire pension benefits, amounting to R1.6 million for one victim and R900,000 for the other.
Under the guise of a fictitious investment opportunity, Saba directed the withdrawn funds to YNM Investments, a Durban-based company reportedly run by Saba’s acquaintances, fellow countrymen, and foreign nationals from other countries.
The two victims, suspicious of their “investments,” attempted to contact Saba, only to discover that he had vanished.
The defrauded teachers promptly reported the incident to the police, initiating criminal investigations.
However, by the time authorities intervened, the YNM Investments account had been emptied.
Saba, who was in the country illegally, was eventually apprehended in Durban.
The victims identified him in an identity parade, and the prosecution successfully opposed bail due to a lack of records confirming his legal presence in the country.
Throughout the trial, Saba pleaded not guilty, asserting that the “elderly” women were mistaken in identifying him.
Despite his claims, the court found him guilty of orchestrating the elaborate pension fund scam.
Tragically, the two victims were unable to recover their life savings.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Barry Madolo, described the 25-year sentence as a necessary deterrent against criminals targeting vulnerable members of society, particularly retirees, and robbing them of their hard-earned pensions.
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