BARBERTON – The female senior administration court clerk employed by the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, who was stationed at the Barberton Magistrate’s Court, has finally been sacked.
Judith Mantombi Mavuso (28) has long been under investigation in relation to the disappearance of more than R38 000 from the coffers of the Barberton Magistrate’s Court. She was found guilty departmentally and subsequently dismissed. Mavuso was arrested on February 7 in full view of her colleagues following the mysterious disappearance of R3 700 from the court cash office.
Mthunzi Mhanga, departmental spokesman confirmed the dismissal. “The official (Mavuso) was found guilty on the alternative charge of unauthorised removal of R7 000. The total amount involved was R38 700. The sanction for the disciplinary hearing was dismissal and this was served on her on August 30,” said Mhanga.
He said Mavuso had, however, since lodged an appeal against her dismissal. The date for this sitting has not yet been confirmed.
He also confirmed that a criminal case of theft had been opened and was still pending.
In her previous court appearance, Mavuso, who was represented by Vusi Mboweni of Mboweni Attorney, denied that she stole the money, but merely “misplaced” it. This was after the court manager Reggie Mthethwa and Evette Smith (Mavuso’s court cash supervisor) were called to testify against her.
Barberton Times had previously reported that Mavuso received an amount of R38 700 from Mr Ian Maseko, an admission-of-guilt finance clerk of the court, on January 23. The money was collected from the Komatipoort Periodic Court, for fines, tickets and summonses issued. It should have been captured on the court system but Mavuso allegedly didn’t do that. On January 29 she took leave to prepare for her wedding and the court cash book was handed over to Smith.
In her testimony in court, Smith, who had worked in the court for the past 12 years, said that on Friday February 1, while she was doing a check on captured money from the periodic courts, she noticed the discrepancy. She said she called Mavuso to ask her about the money and she told her she had given it back to Ian (Maseko). Smith asked Maseko but he denied any knowledge of it. Mavuso then called Maseko and told him to lie to Smith by agreeing that he had taken the money. But he denied having done so, according to Smith.
Mavuso later called him to apologise, saying she knew where the money was but that she had already used R7 000.
The money was eventually found on February 4 in the court strongroom underneath a pile of files. Normally, the money is kept at the court cash office.
At the time of going to print, the newspaper couldn’t ascertain when Mavuso, who is currently out on R1 500 bail, will appear in court.
Meanwhile, Barberton Times has learnt that Maseko is said also to be under investigation for an alleged sum of R250 000 missing from the court.
