Larrisa Vern Sentenced to 25 Years for Defrauding Delmas School
The Delmas Regional Court has sentenced 52-year-old Larrisa Vern, former financial officer of Delmas Primary School, to 25 years in prison after she was convicted on 94 counts of fraud and 555 counts of money laundering.
Vern, who was appointed in December 2021 and began her duties in January 2022, was exposed after a whistleblower alerted authorities to suspicious bonus payments made to her personal bank account.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, spokesperson for the Hawks in Mpumalanga, the case was thoroughly investigated by several specialised units, including the Hawks’ serious commercial crime unit and asset forfeiture team.
The investigation revealed that Vern siphoned off nearly R2.8 million from the school’s funds. She diverted the money through four different bank accounts under misleading references before transferring the stolen funds into her main personal account.
A warrant for her arrest was issued on February 6, 2024, and she was apprehended three days later. In court, prosecutors from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) successfully demonstrated the scale of her fraudulent operations.
The Hawks praised the collaborative effort of their teams and the NPA in securing justice.
