A 41-year-old former South African State Theatre employee and four accomplices, aged 37, 38, 44 and 59, have been arrested following an investigation by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks.
Allegations in the matter relate to money laundering, fraud and theft that took place at the South African State Theatre, which was reported on November 4, 2018.
“It is alleged that two employees from South African State Theatre siphoned money for their own personal gain as they flouted the supply chain processes,” spokesperson for the Hawks, Colonel Katlego Mogale said.
“The two employees allegedly utilised letter heads of existing companies to create invoices without the knowledge of the actual companies, but changed the banking details to those belonging to the suspects' relatives, resulting in the total amount stolen of R24 million.”
Mogale said the four arrested suspects will appear before the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Wednesday, facing charges of fraud, theft and money laundering.
Last week, IOL reported that a Gauteng woman who stole more than R500 million from her employer, and lived the high life, has been sentenced to an effective 50 years behind bars.
Hildegard Antoinette Steenkamp, 50, was sentenced in the Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Friday.
According to the Hawks, Steenkamp was convicted on 336 charges of fraud.
At the time, Mogale said Steenkamp worked as an accountant at multinational medical equipment supplier called Medtronic that is based in Midrand.
“She allegedly duplicated payments by transferring money directly into her late husband’s bank account.
Steenkamp was found to have siphoned over R500 million since 2017.
IOL earlier reported the court heard how Steenkamp spent R65 million over a five-year period at a casino and went on international holidays worth R30 million, including regular trips to Dubai and lived an opulent life.
The Hawks said her arrest in December 2017 was made following a three-month investigation.
IOL