NPA welcomes 15-year sentence to church pastor for robbery

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has welcomed the 15-year direct imprisonment sentence handed down by the Molopo Regional Court to 48-year-old Petrus Phuthego Gasengake, who was found guilty of robbery with aggravating circumstances.

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The conviction relates to an incident on 4 April 2021 at a home in Ramosadi Village near Mmabatho. Gasengake, a local church pastor, had visited a female congregant's house, where she was accompanied by another male church member. Instead of greeting them, Gasengake went straight to the complainant's bedroom. An argument broke out, during which Gasengake choked the complainant and threatened her with a knife. In a fit of rage, he stole R4 000 in cash, bank cards, and the keys to her vehicle, which he used to flee the scene. The court heard that after leav