The Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit has arrested a former company director and two ex-payroll administrators in connection with fraud amounting to R6.3m.

Polokwane Review reports that the three accused, Monique Nel (52) and Ruan van Zyl (23), both payroll administrators, and director Wanda van Zyl (57), all former employees of Global Strike Security Company, were arrested on Sunday after they handed themselves over to the police.

According to provincial Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, the accused allegedly submitted over 33 fraudulent invoices to Anglo American Platinum for security between December 20, 2018, and September 20, 2021, for services that were never rendered

Mmuroa says payments were processed before the company uncovered the scheme.

“Anglo American Platinum got suspicious and conducted internal forensic investigations, which revealed a loss of R6.3m. The matter was reported [at] the Mahwelereng Police Station and subsequently handed over to the Hawks’ Polokwane-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit for further investigation,” he says.

A thorough investigation successfully linked four people from the security company to the committed crime, though one of the people implicated has since died.

Following the completion of the investigation, the case was handed to the National Prosecuting Authority, which authorised warrants of arrest.

“The accused briefly appeared in the Mahwelereng Magistrate’s Court yesterday, facing 26 counts of fraud. The case was postponed to today for a bail application,” he says.

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