Pretoria - The expression “you can’t run from the law” was in full play yesterday when former Kaizer Chiefs public relations officer (PRO) Louis Tshakoane was arrested at a high-profile funeral.
The Hawks pounced on Tshakoane in full view of mourners, minutes after he spoke at the service for his counterpart and friend, former Mamelodi Sundowns PRO Alex Shakoane, at the Mamelodi International Assemblies of God church.
Shakoane was buried yesterday after battling ill health following a stroke in December last year.
In attendance at the funeral were Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and Confederation of African Federation (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe.
Reports are rife that it’s been four years since Tshakoane went on the run from the law after being accused of running a multimillion-rand fraud scheme with his son.
At the hall, after giving his speech, two plainclothed women walked toward Tshakoane, giving a signal to the police to arrest him.
Another man, waving a paper, suspected to be an arrest warrant, whispered in Tshakoane’s ear.
It was not clear if the man, also in plain clothes, was reading him his rights. It was also not clear if the two women were law-enforcement agents or whistle-blowers.
Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mohale confirmed that Tshakoane was arrested at the funeral. She said: “I can confirm that a 74-year-old suspect was arrested on Tuesday at a funeral in Mamelodi, following an execution of a warrant of arrest in relation to an ongoing investigation into an unregistered investment scheme.”
She said the suspect (Tshakoane) was alleged to have benefited from the proceeds of the unregistered investment company known as Undercover Billionaires.
“He is reported to have participated in the presentations aimed at enticing potential investors with a promise of high returns. The amount of investments tendered is about R100 million. The second suspect, 34 years old, was arrested at a residence in Kempton Park,” she said.
The 34-year-old is thought to be his son. The two, who are facing charges of fraud, theft, money laundering and contravention of the Financial Advisory and Intermediary Services Act, were expected to appear in the Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court today.
Tshakoane has been wanted by the police after being linked to his son Louis Tshakoane jr’s alleged illegal investment scheme that left investors counting their losses several years ago.
In 2019, the Hawks issued warrants for Tshakoane and his wife, Komane Tshakoane, who were believed to be on the run because of their involvement in the scheme.
In his funeral speech, Tshakoane described Shakoane as the spirit of former US boxer Joe Frazer.
“I know him because he was my opponent. I used to analyse, manipulate Alex. And if there are people who are entitled to celebrate him, it must be Sundowns and the nation. He was a giant, a calculator. One day I got him in the dressing room, he was praying, ‘the spirit of Alex and Sundowns must never die’.”
Pretoria News