Fraudster sentenced to 15 years in prison
The accused fraudulently transferred more than R7m from the bank account of the company he worked for, as an accountant, to his personal account.
ON Monday, March 27, a former accountant was charged with 93 counts of fraud after stealing more than R7m from the company where he was formerly employed.
Hawks KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson Captain Simphiwe Mhlongo said that on Monday, March 27, Durban Regional Court sentenced Zakariya Vahed (49) to 15 years direct imprisonment for 93 counts of fraud.
“During the period between 2009 and 2019, Vahed was employed by the complainant as an accountant. He fraudulently transferred cash from the company’s bank account to his personal account. As a result, the company suffered a financial loss of more than R7m,” said Mhlongo.
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The spokesperson said that a case of fraud was reported at Sydenham police station, and the docket was allocated to Hawks members from Durban Serious Commercial Crime Investigation.
“Vahed was arrested in October 2020, and he was released on R10K bail,” said Mhlongo.
Mhlongo says Vahed appeared in court several times until he pleaded guilty in August last year which led to his sentencing on Monday.
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