A former accounting clerk has been arrested to face fraud charges after allegedly defrauding her former employer of more than R896,000 in a commercial crime that spanned over a year.
The 55-year-old suspect was taken into custody in Musina on Wednesday, 19 February 2025, after an investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) unit. Authorities allege that between April 2018 and November 2019, while working as an accounting clerk, she manipulated company transactions for personal gain.
Investigators revealed she created a fictitious company using her employer’s logo and misled clients into depositing payments into her personal bank account. The fraud was uncovered during an internal audit, which exposed inconsistencies in invoices and banking records.
A case of fraud was initially opened at a Musina police station before being escalated to the Polokwane-based Hawks SCCI team. After gathering substantial evidence, the case was referred to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which authorised an arrest warrant. The suspect was then traced and apprehended.
She was scheduled to make her first court appearance before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on 20 February 2025.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General (Adv) Gopz Govender, commended the investigative team for their meticulous work in ensuring the suspect was brought to justice. The Hawks have urged businesses to remain vigilant against commercial crime, as such financial offences continue to pose a significant threat.
Crime, including fraud, is a big scourge and just recently, this week, a 40-year-old Indian national was set to appear before the Middelburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 18 February 2025, after being arrested for allegedly being in possession of illicit cigarettes.
According to the South African Police Service (Saps), Middelburg Crime Prevention officers arrested the suspect after receiving information that illicit cigarettes were being stored at his shop. Upon investigation, authorities recovered illicit cigarettes with an estimated value of R3.4 million.
ALSO CHECK OUT: Indian national in court over illicit cigarettes worth R3.4 million
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