FREE STATE – A former financial clerk of a Welkom based Galison engineering equipment manufacturing company, Relebohile Nnana Letlatsa (34), has been convicted for fraud and money laundering on Wednesday.
The Hawks’ Commercial Crime Investigation proved that Letlatsa fraudulently issued pay slips in guise of ghost employees in the said company.
These fraudulent activities occurred during the period September 2017 to October 2018.
The company was prejudiced to the tune of over R209 000-00 as a result of her elaborate illegal scheme.
Letlatsa was arrested by the Hawks on 21 August 2019, following an investigation by the elite unit.
A watertight case was presented to court resulting in Letlatsa electing to plead guilty before the Virginia Commercial Crime Court, she was found guilty as charged for Contraventions of the Electronic Communications ACT and Transaction and Prevention of Organised Crime (POCA) Act.
She was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment for contravening the Electronic Communications and Transaction Act, 7 years imprisonment for fraud and a further 5 years imprisonment for money laundering.
All the charges were wholly suspended for five years on condition that the she pay R?158 658-00 to her former employer.