Court sentences former Newcastle Municipality employee to eight years for R3.1m fraud
A former Newcastle Municipality employee was sentenced to eight years in prison after she was found guilty of fraud totalling R3.1 million when she appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Durban.
According to a national news publication, Deidre Van Rooyen (52) worked as a payroll supervisor in the municipality, handling the day-to-day operations of the wages office.
It was said that her duties included paying salary from the municipality’s bank account.
Van Rooyen was detained on October 22, 2020, and appeared in court the same day, according to Hawks spokesperson Colonel Philani Nkwalase.
This followed an extensive investigation by the Hawks’ National Clean Audit Task Team into salary and bank system corruption.
She was released on bail of R50 000.
“She received unauthorised payments in excess of her regular salary. Further investigation linked her banking information to four additional salary profiles of previous employees who left the company,” Nkwalase explained.
Further investigation by the Hawks revealed 88 false salaries totalling more than R3 million that were manufactured during an eight-year period from February 2012 to June 2020.
Van Rooyen pleaded guilty to all 88 counts of fraud in May 2022.
“She also forfeited her pension to the Newcastle Municipality and repaid the balance of the amount in full by other financial means,” Nkwalase stated.
The Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced her to 10 years in prison, two years of which were suspended for five years with strict terms.
Lieutenant General Lebeya, the National Head of the Hawks, praised the National Clean Audit Task Team for their rigorous investigation, which resulted in the recovery of state funds.
“This sentence sends a clear message that crime does not pay,” concluded Lebeya.
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