The Musina Magistrate’s Court in Limpopo has released 55-year-old Hester Maria Els on R10,000 bail after she was arrested by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, also known as the Hawks, on charges of fraud.
Hawks provincial spokesperson, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa said Els, a former accounting clerk, allegedly defrauded her former employer of money amounting to almost R900,000.
“It is alleged that during the period between April 2018 and November 2019, the suspect was employed as an accounting clerk responsible for receiving purchase orders, invoices and loading creditors for payments,” Mmuroa narrated.
She allegedly created a fictitious company and made misrepresentations by using the fake company's logo, adding her personal bank account details as the client.
Els then allegedly made payments into her bank account under the fictitious company.
“An internal audit was conducted and revealed discrepancies on the invoices and company's bank records. During the audit, it was established that the company suffered a loss of more than R896 000,” said Mmuroa.
A case docket of fraud was opened and registered at Musina police station, before it was transferred to the Polokwane-based Hawks for further investigations.
Mmuroa said the case was thoroughly investigated and after “concrete” evidence was gathered, the Hawks referred the case to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for a decision.
“Subsequent to that, a warrant of arrest was authorised against the suspect (Els). She was traced and arrested at Musina,” said Mmuroa.
She made her first appearance before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Meanwhile, provincial head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General Gopz Govender has saluted the investigators “for their efforts and skills displayed during the investigation of this matter”.
On Thursday, IOL reported that Teboho Boiki Nhlapo, 39, appeared before the Tembisa Magistrate's Court on charges of fraud after he was arrested by the Hawks on charges of fraud.
Nhlapo was nabbed when he handed himself over to the Hawks’ serious commercial crimes unit in Germiston on Saturday.
“It is alleged that between January 2019 and August 2023 the accused Nhlapo who was employed as a credit controller at Grascor Access Solutions created fictitious invoices and would then transfer money into bank accounts belonging to his friends and family as well as his own personal bank accounts,” said Warrant Officer Thatohatsi Mavimbela, Gauteng spokesperson for the Hawks.
As a result of Nhlapo’s actions, the Hawks said the company suffered an actual loss of just over R3 million.
Nhlapo, who has been charged with theft and fraud, made his first appearance before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za
IOL
Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel.