JOHANNESBURG – Thandi Maqubela, the woman who was last year acquitted of the murder of her husband, has been released on parole. Maqubela was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment for the murder of Judge Patrick Maqubela in 2015.
However, the Supreme Court of Appeal overturned her murder conviction, saying the acting judge could have died of natural causes.
Spokesperson of Correctional Services, Singabakho Nxumalo said a decision was taken last year to release on parole from October 12 2017 to March 30 2018.
“The parole period is approximately five months and will be under Community Corrections. There are parole conditions attached to this placement but such cannot be made public,” said Nxumalo.
At the time of his death in 2009, Patrick Maqubela acting judge in the High Court in Cape Town. He died intestate and his widow stood to inherit as a surviving spouse. The Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) applied to stop Maqubela from benefiting from the estate after she was convicted of murder in 2013. Maqubela was also convicted of forging her husband’s signature on a will that made her the main beneficiary of his estate.
“A close family member who declined to be named said the Master of the High Court in Johannesburg had instructed the executor of the estate to draw up a new account, telling them that Thandi must inherit,” said a report on the Sunday Times.
Photo Credits – EWN
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