ATM fraud: Bank manager jailed for stealing more than R3.6 million

A 45-year-old bank manager has been sentenced to 15 years in jail after he stole millions of rands from an automatic teller machine (ATM).

Aubrey Lepala Tlaka appeared in the Kwaggafontein Regional Court on Wednesday where the sentence was handed down.

Bank manager arrested for ATM fraud

Police spokesperson Bonnie Nxumalo says the convicted criminal was a bank manager in one of the banks in Kwaggafontein Complex when he stole the money.

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“Between January 2011 and November 2012, Tlaka stole more than R3.6 million from the automatic teller machine and the client’s estate account.

“The irregularities were discovered and the matter was reported to the police.”

Nxumalo says Tlaka was handcuffed in 2012 and was taken to court where he absconded but was re-arrested by the Middelburg-based Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team.

“The accused was detained and charged. He was found guilty on numerous counts of theft on 25 May 2022.

“He was sentenced yesterday, 28 June 2022, to 15 years imprisonment and eight years imprisonment which will run concurrently”.

Defrauding Sars totalling R54 million

In a separate case, a businesswoman and her co-accused are expected to appear in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Thursday for defrauding the South African Revenue Service (Sars) of millions of rands.

The woman (who is the director PSR Solutions) and the man (a director of the South African Business Accounts and Associates) were issued summonses on Wednesday.

The National Prosecuting Authority’s Lumka Mahanjana says the duo allegedly defrauded Sars after SPR Solutions received a PPE tender worth R54 million from Saps in April 2020.

PPE fraud totalling R5.9m

Meanwhile, a Mpumalanga department of cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) official, his brother and a businessman were also arrested in connection with personal protective equipment (PPE) fraud and corruption totalling R5.9m.

The Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said the three were arrested by the Hawks in Mbombela last month.

They appeared in the Mbombela magistrate’s court on charges of fraud and corruption and were released on R15,000 bail each.

The case is due to return to court on July 28.

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