King County eyes watchdog after $800K fraud allegations
King County leaders are pushing for an independent inspector general after allegations a program manager funneled more than $800,000 to family members. The proposal aims to strengthen oversight and prevent future fraud.
KING COUNTY, Wash. – King County councilmembers are planning to introduce legislation to create an independent Inspector General’s office following a Seattle Times investigation which revealed a county program manager allegedly funneled more than $800,000 to her own family members.
The proposal, led by Councilmember Rod Dembowski and co-sponsored by Reagan Dunn, Sarah Perry, and Pete von Reichbauer, would establish a permanent watchdog with subpoena power to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse within county-administered funds.
The move comes amid a growing “crisis in confidence” regarding the Department of…
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