EASTERN CAPE – The Gqeberha Regional Court at the New Law Courts has convicted two accused, Megan Brooks (42) and Leroy Bezuidenhout (36) of fraud and money laundering following an investigation into the financial affairs of Keens Wholesalers in Korsten, Gqeberha.
The court convicted Brooks and Bezuidenhout on 26 August 2026. Their co-accused, Rochanda Leander (41), was sentenced in 2020.
The matter arose from fraudulent transactions committed between September 2017 and February 2018 while Brooks and Leander were employed as office administrators at Keens Wholesalers. Their responsibilities included telesales, processing invoices for payment, and preparing bank deposit slips and cash intended for the company’s legitimate suppliers.
Keens Wholesalers routinely used cash deposits as part of its supplier-payment arrangements. Cash and the accompanying banking documentation were prepared for collection by Fidelity security personnel, who transported the deposits to the relevant banking institutions.
It was through this legitimate commercial process that the fraudulent scheme was executed. Deposit slips were prepared in such a manner that the transactions appeared to be legitimate payments by Keens Wholesalers to Health Shield. However, the accompanying cash was deposited into a bank account opened in the supplier’s name, resulting in the diversion of company funds.
It was established that Keens Wholesalers suffered financial prejudice of more than R1.7 million. The proceeds were subsequently distributed among persons implicated in the scheme.
The matter was referred to the Hawks for investigation. Following an extensive investigation, the accused were arrested, appeared before court, and were released on bail. The accused subsequently made numerous court appearances before Brooks and Bezuidenhout were convicted on 26 August 2026.
The matter was postponed to 13 October 2026 for sentencing.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Head of the Hawks, Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, welcomed the convictions and praised the investigative team for its diligence, persistence, and professional handling of the complex commercial-crime investigation.
“The conviction demonstrates the Hawks’ commitment to investigating sophisticated commercial crimes and ensuring that persons who abuse legitimate business processes for personal financial gain are brought before the courts,” said Major General Ngwenya.