Germiston woman appears in court over alleged R8m deceased estate fraud
The Hawks allege the 45-year-old transferred R8m from bank accounts opened for deceased estates before the fraud was uncovered by a beneficiary in 2022.
A 45-year-old woman appeared in the Germiston Regional Court yesterday, August 19, following her arrest in connection with the alleged theft of R8m from her employer.
Sarika Chetty was arrested on August 17, after the Hawks’ Germiston Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) successfully executed a J50 warrant of arrest.
According to a police statement, the arrest followed an investigation into the alleged theft of funds from the company where Chetty was employed.
The company is responsible for administering deceased estates and managing beneficiary funds.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Four senior Ekurhuleni officials appear in Germiston court on corruption charges
It is alleged that Chetty transferred money from bank accounts specifically opened for deceased estates, as regulated by the Administration of Estates Act.
The alleged fraud was uncovered in August 2022 when a beneficiary attempted to claim their inheritance and discovered that the funds in their account were missing.
Following the investigation, the Hawks secured a warrant for Chetty’s arrest.
Her case was postponed to Friday, August 21, when she is expected to make a formal bail application.
