Hester Maria Els, a 55-year-old former accounting clerk, was arrested in Musina on February 19 by the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) for allegedly defrauding her former employer of over R896,000.
Els, who worked as an accounting clerk between April 2018 and November 2019, is accused of creating a fictitious company and using it to mislead her employer. She allegedly used this fake company’s logo and provided her personal bank account details to clients, instructing them to make payments into her account.
An internal audit revealed discrepancies between the company’s bank records and invoices, leading to the discovery of the fraud. The audit confirmed that the company had suffered a loss of more than R896,000 as a result of Els’s actions.
Following a thorough investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) unit, the case was handed over to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), which authorized a warrant for Els’s arrest. She was arrested and appeared in the Musina Magistrates’ Court on February 20, where she was granted bail of R10,000. Her case has been postponed until March 10 for further investigation.
Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Lethunya Mmuroa, reassured the public that the investigation would continue, and all suspects involved would be prosecuted. “The investigation was conducted thoroughly, and evidence led to the arrest of the suspect,” Mmuroa said.
In other news from Musina, 28-year-old Fanie Ndou, a Zimbabwean national, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for tampering with essential infrastructure and contravening the Immigration Act. Ndou was caught carrying a bag containing copper cables linked to an MTN tower in Musina. The court imposed a 15-year sentence for the destruction of infrastructure and an additional two years for immigration violations.
Furthermore, Limpopo police arrested a 40-year-old Tanzanian drug dealer on February 20 in Louis Trichardt. Authorities found crystal meth worth R18,000 in his possession, and he is set to appear before the Louis Trichardt Magistrates’ Court soon.
The Hawks continue their commitment to addressing crimes in the region, including fraud and infrastructure-related offenses.
