The former principal at a Cape Town school has pleaded guilty to charges of fraud brought against him and has only been sentenced to three years of correctional supervision.
Clifford Chateau, 65, was convicted of defrauding Duneside Primary School in Mitchells Plain of nearly R100,000.
The provincial spokesperson for the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as Hawks) Zinzi Hani said the disgraced former principal committed fraud of R95,730 in June 2017.
She said Chateau’s sentence was suspended for a period of five years, but he will serve three years of correctional supervision in terms of Section 276(1)(h) of Act 51 of 1977.
“It is reported that the school, where Chateau was the headmaster, wanted to do building work at the school, and the company CBS, belonging to the accused, submitted a quotation created by the headmaster.
“The headmaster submitted other false quotations to the school Governing Body (SGB).
“The SGB, on the accused’s recommendations, appointed CBS to do the work,” Hani said.
She said Chateau would submit invoices by the company, CBS to the SGB for approval, thereafter cheques were issued to CBS.
The company, CBS would cash the cheques it received and make cash payments into the bank account of the principal.
“During the period of June 2017 to August 2017, the school paid CBS a total amount of R95,730 and the headmaster received a total of R36,400 cash payments into his bank account,” Hani said.
robin.francke@inl.co.za
IOL