Central SA
Bloemfontein optometrists defrauded of more than R2 million─── HEIDRÈ MALGAS 09:51 Sat, 07 Oct 2023
“Absa's fraud department flagged suspicious transactions involving funds transferred from Mellins i-Style Optometrists' business accounts.”
Maria Fatima Botes (45), Ann Catherina Smit (69), Susanna Aletta Liebenberg (42), and Chantelle Matthews (43) have been convicted and sentenced for theft and money laundering after Absa flagged suspicious transactions.
Hawks spokesperson Christopher Singo said the case involves an accounting and management consulting firm in Bloemfontein, which employs various bookkeepers for accounting tasks. One of its prominent clients is Mellins i-Style Optometrists, Bloemfontein.
“According to allegations, in February 2019, Absa's fraud department flagged suspicious transactions involving funds transferred from Mellins i-Style Optometrists' business accounts,” he said.
The Hawks investigated suspicious transactions involving funds transferred from Mellins i-Style Optometrists' business accounts.
Internal investigations revealed that the accused, who were contracted bookkeepers, unlawfully transferred funds from November 2015 to February 2019. As a result, Mellins i-Style Optometrists Bloemfontein suffered a total loss of R2.695 million.
“In their sentencing, the court imposed an eight-year direct imprisonment for theft and a four-year direct imprisonment for money laundering on Botes. Both charges were suspended for five years, with an order to repay R854,490.81 to the complainant within five years,” he said.
'Absa's fraud department flagged suspicious transactions'
Smit received a three-year direct imprisonment for theft and a two-year direct imprisonment for money laundering, wholly suspended for five years. She was ordered to repay R93,971.12 to the complainant within the same timeframe.
Liebenberg was sentenced to eight years direct imprisonment for theft and four years direct imprisonment for money laundering, both wholly suspended for five years. She was ordered to repay R681,036.61 to the complainant.
Matthews received a suspended sentence of eight years direct imprisonment for theft and four years direct imprisonment for money laundering. She has been ordered to repay the complainant a total of R1,065,514.37 within a five-year period.
