(Luxembourg, 8 April 2026) – The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Brno (Czechia) has dismantled an organised crime group involving public officials suspected of wrongdoing in subsidy procedures for the reconstruction of research premises. Seven suspects were detained today, including three public officials.
A total of 13 house and company searches were carried out, including at the premises of Czechia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, with the support of the Police of the Czech Republic, National Centre Against Organized Crime (Policie ?eské republiky, Národní centrála proti organizovanému zlo?inu). A substantial amount of evidence was seized, as well as a building and over €2 million (CZK 51 million) in bank accounts.
At issue are EU subsidies from the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation for Competitiveness (OP EIC), allegedly obtained illicitly for developing…
THE ISUZU MOTORS PAYROLL FRAUD (GQEBERHA, SA)
Date: February 16, 2026 Perpetrator: Natasja Slabbert (42)
Case Description: In a case that hit home for the Eastern Cape business community, Natasja Slabbert, a payroll administrator at Isuzu Motors South Africa’s Struandale plant, was arrested for an alleged R10.5 million fraud. The scheme, which began surfacing in late 2024, exploited the very systems designed to manage employee compensation. Slabbert allegedly manipulated payroll records to create false entries that appeared as legitimate deductions and contributions on employee payslips. In reality, these “deductions” were being diverted into her personal bank account.
The fraud was only uncovered after diligent employees noticed that their net “take-home” pay was significantly lower than expected, despite the gross amounts on their payslips remaining high. Following a thorough probe by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit, it was discovered that in August 2024 alone, over R626,000 was unlawfully transferred. Slabbert was granted bail of R5,000 on February 17, 2026, and the case has been postponed to later in the month for further legal proceedings. This case highlights the critical need for “segregation of duties” in payroll departments, as a single point of failure allowed for the systematic siphoning of millions over nearly two years.
Link to Original: PE Express – Isuzu Payroll Fraud