Cape Town – The Western Cape Commercial Crime Investigations Unit arrested two people, a man and woman, for allegedly defrauding their employers of huge sums of money, the combined amount being more than R11.4 million.
The suspects were apprehended for separate incidents over the weekend by members of the same SAPS unit. The first suspect was the 43-year-old woman, who lives in Kuils River, according to the SAPS.
Police spokesperson FC van Wyk said official police records revealed that the suspect was employed by a grape farm when she made hundreds of fraudulent transactions.
He said: “In November 2021, the farm manager informed the director of the farm of suspected transactions that were made by the suspect. The farm conducted its own investigation, even employing an auditing company to audit its accounts from 2019 to 2021.
“It was discovered that the suspect made more than 400 transactions from the business accounts to her account, amounting to R11 210 781.95.”
Van Wyk said following her arrest, the suspect was expected to appear in the Wellington Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (Monday) on the said charges.
In the second incident, Van Wyk said that police, whilst conducting other tracing operations, apprehended the second suspect, a 37-year-old man from Hawston, on a charge of fraud.
According to police, the suspect was a manager at a retail clothing store who while working there gave false refunds and pocketed the cash.
“The suspect pocketed a total of R201 210 from the company through his fraudulent dealings. On Friday, officers arrested and detained the suspect at Mitchells Plain SAPS,” said Van Wyk.
“He is due to appear in the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court tomorrow (Monday).”