Johannesburg – The Hawks have arrested two people accused of hatching an elaborate scheme that saw clients of a trucking company defrauded of R1.9-million over three years.
The scheme is believed to have started in 2015 but came to an end in 2018 when the owner saw the inflated invoices.
He ordered a forensic probe in which Hugo Christiaan le Roux, 41 and accomplice Rochelle Edith du Plessis Bekker, 35, were identified as the people at the centre of the scheme.
The owner opened a case and the Hawks arrested them.
Spokesperson for the Hawks Captain Dineo Sekgotodi said the two face more than 500 charges of theft, fraud and money laundering.
Allegations are that Le Roux was the operations manager for Izusa Carriers, a trucking company in Komatipoort.
Due to it being busy with huge clientele, Izusa outsourced its transport services to HLR Contracting (Pty) Ltd, which is owned by Bekker.
It is alleged Le Roux and Bekker colluded to defraud Izusa clients by doing invoices that were higher than normal rates charged.
“Both accused issued tax invoices to these existing clients with higher rates for transport services.
“They would give Izusa what was owed then shared the difference which they deposited in their own bank accounts.
“The owner of Izusa suspected that there was something wrong when he picked up invoices with highly inflated prices and realised that his company’s name was being used to defraud his clients.
“Forensic audit was done and the Haws were involved,” she said.
The accused appeared before the Komatipoort Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday after being arrested by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Investigation Nelspruit.
“They were granted R10 000 bail each and the case was postponed to November 20,” she said
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