The National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) Limpopo Regional Head of the Specialised Commercial Crimes Unit, Advocate Steven Mmbara, is expected to consider and make a decision on a plea and sentence proposal submitted by Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officer Peter “Gagash” Nonyane next week.

This emerged during Nonyane’s latest bail proceedings at the Polokwane Magistrates’ Court on Friday, where the State confirmed that it had received the deal from the defence and would forward it to Mmbara for consideration.

Senior prosecutor Advocate Martin Molokwane told Magistrate Godfrey Netshiozwi that the document would first be scrutinised before being submitted to the relevant NPA official for a decision.

Nonyane, popularly known as Gagash or Lamasweet, appeared alongside his wife, suspended attorney Charlotte Tibana, as he prepared to launch another bail application based on “new facts”.

However, proceedings were cut short after Molokwane indicated that he was unwell. He also informed the court that the State intended to add further charges against the couple.

The State and defence subsequently agreed to postpone the matter to Wednesday, 25 November 2026, for the bail application.

“Your Worship, we confirm on behalf of the state that we have received a plea and sentence proposal. It’s a document that we need to read, interrogate, I mean forward it to the relevant official of the NPA, being the regional head of the Specialized Commercial Crimes Unit, for him to make a decision on that particular document, to consider the contents of that particular document. Your Worship, I further would like to place on record that even if the applicant, applicant number two, would bring his bail application on new facts today, we may not be able to respond.

“We may not be in a position to respond, also taking into account the fact that we need to forward the Section 105 Plea and Sentence Agreement proposal to the relevant official of the state, being our regional head in this instance. Your Worship, we therefore submit that we agree with our learned colleague that the matter be postponed to a further date, post next week, as the Honourable Court will not be available next week. Your Worship, we are available the 25th of November if it suits both the Honourable Court and both the Honourable Court and my colleagues as the court pleases,” Molokwane said on Friday.

Fifth suspect arrested as Hawks widen investigation

The case has continued to widen, with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) confirming the arrest of a fifth suspect on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.

The 53-year-old suspect, an alleged estate controller, Gustavus Mokoana Moloto employed at the Office of the Master of the High Court, was arrested in connection with allegations of corruption dating back to 2023.

The State alleges that Moloto received R10 500 from Tibana on 27 June 2023 through a Capitec Bank account registered in his name.

According to the prosecution, the payment originated from a First National Bank account belonging to Tibana.

Molokwane further told the court that investigators would seek to establish the nature of the relationship between the two accused and whether the payment was part of a broader corrupt arrangement.

“The state alleges that accuse number one referred the clients and or beneficiaries of deceased estates to accuse number two as an attorney in exchange for money. Accuse number one is the holder and sole signatory of a Capitec Bank account as mentioned in the chart sheet into which he received an amount of R10,500 from accuse number two on the 27th June 2023. Accuse number two is the holder of a First National Bank account number as mentioned in the charge sheet from which the said amount of R10,500 was paid to the Capitec Bank account belonging to accuse number one.

“The accused acting with common intent for the furtherance of common peoples with each other and with a person or persons whose identities are to the state unknown referred clients and or as and or beneficiaries of deceased estates to accuse number one as they knew that they are in a corrupt relationship.

“The state alleges that although we may not relatively specifically prove as to what was in actual fact this gratification for but we are going to need evidence to prove that accused one and two were in a corrupt relationship,” Molokwane said.

The matter was postponed to Monday, 16 November, for further investigations and a formal bail application. Tibana has since abandoned her bail application.

Two co-accused out on R60,000 bail

Meanwhile, two of the couple’s co-accused, LLB Student Rirhandzu Tibana,30, Charlotte’s sister, and Jabulani Maluleke, 43, have been released on bail of R60,000 each.

The two were arrested in September and appeared in the Polokwane Magistrates’ Court, where they were granted bail on 8 October 2026.

Maluleke, who is associated with Risima Jeje Trading Enterprise, is accused alongside Rirhandzu of allegedly benefiting from transactions involving deceased-estate funds.

Their release followed the court’s decision to grant their respective bail applications, subject to conditions that include regular reporting to designated police stations.

Nonyane and Charlotte, however, remain behind bars after their initial bail applications were unsuccessful and their subsequent appeals were dismissed by the Limpopo High Court on 22 October.

The alleged R11 million deceased-estates fraud
Nonyane and Tibana are facing allegations of theft, fraud and money laundering linked to the alleged unlawful withdrawal and movement of funds from deceased-estate accounts.

Nonyane, 36, was arrested in Pretoria on Friday, 14 August 2026, while Tibana, 33, was arrested in Polokwane on Monday, 17 August.

According to the NPA’s Limpopo regional spokesperson, Mashudu Malabi, the State initially alleged that approximately R1.75 million had been unlawfully withdrawn from the bank accounts of two deceased estates.

The money was allegedly transferred and used in a manner that prejudiced the estates and deprived their rightful beneficiaries of their inheritance.

The State further alleges that approximately R1.75 million was used to purchase a second-hand Mercedes-Benz AMG G63 from a dealership in Pretoria.

Tibana, who was responsible for administering the estates, is accused of authorising and facilitating the transfer of funds from the accounts.

The case has since expanded considerably, with the investigation covering 15 deceased estates and alleged losses of approximately R11 million. The accused are reported to face a total of 123 charges, including fraud, theft and money laundering.

Gagash’s public profile and lavish lifestyle

African Times News previously reported that Nonyane had established a prominent public profile as an entertainment promoter and supporter of Tsonga music and culture.

He is also known on social media for showcasing an affluent lifestyle, including designer labels such as Gucci, Amiri, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Burberry and Dsquared2.

Nonyane has also been associated with several luxury vehicles, including a Ford Ranger Raptor, Volkswagen Golf 8R and Mercedes-Benz V-Class.

He has previously showcased his lifestyle and property investments on social media, including a double-storey house in his home village of Mageva in Giyani, which he has said is worth approximately R2.1 million.

The deceased estates under investigation
Previous court proceedings have heard details of several estates and the amounts allegedly involved in transactions being investigated by the State.

These include:

• Masha Estate: Approximately R650,000.
• Mathabatha Estate: Approximately R1.1 million.
• Maswanganyi Estate: Approximately R2.75 million.
• Moetji Estate: Approximately R1.38 million.
• Kobe Estate: Approximately R800,250.
• Mphahlele Estate: Approximately R4.3 million.
• Tlabile Estate: Approximately R110,000.
• Mashamaite and Shikwambana estates: Approximately R870,000 combined.
• Moroane Estate: Approximately R337,000.
• Mampuru Estate: Approximately R487,000.