By Staff Reporter
MUSINA – The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) has arrested a former accounting clerk, Ms. Hester Maria Els (55), for allegedly defrauding her previous employer of over R896,000.
The arrest took place on Wednesday, 19 February 2025.
According to the allegations, between April 2018 and November 2019, Els, who was employed as an accounting clerk, was responsible for processing purchase orders, invoices, and managing payments to creditors.
During her tenure, she allegedly created a fictitious company, using its logo to deceive clients.
She further misrepresented her intentions by providing her personal bank account details for payments, which were intended for the company.
The fraudulent activities were uncovered after an internal audit, which revealed discrepancies in the invoices and the company’s bank records.
The audit confirmed that the company had suffered a loss exceeding R896,000 due to Els’ actions.
A fraud case was filed at Musina Police Station and subsequently transferred to the Polokwane-based Hawks SCCI for further investigation.
The thorough investigation uncovered concrete evidence of the crime. Following this, the case was submitted to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) for a decision.
A warrant of arrest was issued against Els, who was located and arrested in Musina. She appeared before the Musina Magistrate’s Court on 20 February 2025, where she was granted bail of R10,000.
The case was postponed to 10 March 2025 for further investigation by the police.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks in Limpopo, Major General (Adv) Gopz Govender, commended the investigators for their diligent efforts and the expertise demonstrated during the course of this investigation.
The investigation into the matter is ongoing, and the accused is expected to face further legal proceedings in the coming weeks.
