Respected Constitutional Court Judge, Mbuyiseli Madlanga has fallen victim to a fraudster who is using his name to extort money from various high-profile public figures and state entities.
Madlanga is a seasoned judge who has presided over several high-profile cases which include the ones involving former president Jacob Zuma.
The Office of the Chief Justice issued the alert to warn members of the public on Saturday, saying the alleged fraudster also demands personal information about certain individuals.
However, the office did not specify how the fraudster carry out the illegal deeds and did not name the figures that have fallen victims.
“It has been brought to the attention of the Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) that an individual impersonating Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has contacted individuals and entities using the name of the Justice. “The impersonator is said to extort money from unsuspecting individuals, intimidate private individuals, public officials, public office bearers and entities, including organs of state, for a variety of reasons, including attempting to access personal information of certain individuals.
“He does all this purporting to be Justice Madlanga,” the office said in a statement.
Media Statement - Individual impersonating Justice M Madlanga. #ocj_rsa pic.twitter.com/IhR8NjOObV
— RSAJudiciary (@OCJ_RSA) August 19, 2023
In addition, the office warned that impersonation is a criminal offence and asked the media to verify all communication which purports to be from Judge Madlanga.
“Impersonating a Judicial Officer is a criminal offence. The matter has been handed over to the South African Police Service (SAPS) for further handling.
“Members of the public and media are requested to contact the OCJ (Office of the Chief Justice) to verify the authenticity of any communication, directive, article, or social media post that purports to be that of a Judge,” the office added.
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