Convicted fraudster Hildegard Steenkamp (49), of Cinderella, Boksburg, was today (December 8) sentenced to an effective 50 years imprisonment for the over 330 counts of fraud related to R537m she stole from her former employer.

The employer was Medtronic (Pty) Ltd and the fraud took place over a period of 13 years while she worked there as an accountant.

Steenkamp was also declared unfit to possess a firearm when the sentencing was handed down in the Johannesburg Commercial Crimes Court sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court.

Her family was in court, including her husband and son, and there were emotional farewell scenes as Steenkamp prepared to leave court.

Steenkamp started stealing money from her employer in 2004, a few months after she was permanently employed as a junior accountant at the company.

The theft continued until 2016 when it was discovered.

She was arrested in 2017, and about five years later she pleaded guilty and was convicted this year.

In defrauding the company of this amount, Steenkamp also defrauded SARS to the tune of R311m, which Medtronic had to repay to SARS because the revenue service deemed the accused as an agent of the company and demanded the money to be paid back.

Magistrate Phillip Venter presided over the matter and prosecutor advocate Tilas Chabalala represented the State.

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