Raya Hotel Group fraud case postponed

Statue of justice holding balanced scales in hand isolated on white background

Statue of justice holding balanced scales in hand isolated on white background

Published Jul 10, 2014

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Cape Town - Court proceedings in the case of a woman accused of defrauding the Raya Hotel Group were postponed by the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crime Court on Thursday.

Mymona Creighton, 31, faces 250 counts of fraud involving R10 263 813 and one charge of money laundering involving the Raya Hotel Group, which owns the Capetonian Hotel in Cape Town and the Balmoral Hotel in Durban.

Her Legal Aid attorney, Hayley Lawrence told the magistrate there were “new developments” in the case that needed to be discussed with the prosecutor and legal aid organisation.

The case that began in September 2013 was postponed on Thursday to July 16.

Creighton's trial was originally meant to have started in January, after previous plea negotiation talks collapsed.

Creighton began working for the hotel group 10 years ago as the assistant to the accountant and seven years later was promoted to the post of accountant.

She was based at the head office in Cape Town.

She was responsible for the payment of the group's creditors, and had to present cheques for payment to the group's management for signature.

Prosecutor Simon Leope alleges that she either deleted or changed the details of the payees on cheques, after payment had been authorised by management.

It is alleged that the cheques would then be made payable to fictitious people, and the proceeds channelled into Creighton's personal bank accounts.

To “cover her tracks”, Creighton is alleged to have recorded the correct cheque details on management payment schedules, but intercepted and destroyed bank-processed cheques as they arrived back from the bank.

In this manner, Creighton allegedly eliminated evidence of her manipulation, and misappropriated the money.

Leope alleges that she concealed the payments, and used fictitious names, to hide the true nature of the fraudulent payments.

Sapa

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