An alleged scheme to defraud the Raya Hotel group owners of the Capetonian Hotel in Cape Town and the Balmoral Hotel in Durban, has landed the group's assistant accountant in court.
Myona Creighton, 31, of Kenwyn in Cape Town's northern suburbs, made her fourth appearance in the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Friday.
She faces multiple counts of alleged fraud and one of money laundering.
According to the charge sheet, Creighton was responsible for the payment of the group's creditors, and was based at the group's Cape Town head office.
She had to present cheques for payment to the group's management for signature.
Prosecutor Simon Leope alleged that she either deleted or changed the details of the payees of cheques, after payment had been authorised by management.
It is alleged that the cheques would then be made payable to fictitious persons, and the proceeds channelled into Creighton's personal bank accounts.
In order to cover her tracks, Creighton would allegedly record the correct cheque details on a management payment schedule, but intercept and destroy bank-processed cheques as they arrived back from the bank, Leope alleges.
In this manner, Creighton allegedly eliminated evidence of her manipulation, and misappropriated the money.
Leope said that she concealed the payments, and used fictitious names, to hide the true nature of the fraudulent payments.
Creighton faces 250 counts of fraud involving R10,263,813 and one charge of money laundering.
Her trial is expected to start on September 18, in the form of a plea-bargain. - Sapa