A court in South Africa on Wednesday sentenced a former bodyguard of South African politician and an anti-apartheid activist, Ace Magashule to 15 years in jail for stealing a painting worth R8 million, over K410 Million.
Ricardo Mettler has also been handed another 15 years for money laundering after he offered the Pierneef painting to a Chinese businessman as a guarantee for a loan.
A statement by the police said: âThe court added another 15 years for fraud. He pretended that the painting was donated to him by Magashule, and that it legally belonged to him. In addition, Judge Naidoo sentenced Mettler to 12 months for making a false statement to the police, in which he said Magashule gave him the painting.â