The Hawks in the Eastern Cape have arrested Nicole Bekker (37), former general manager of Gqeberha Acres Spar, and Chantelle Erasmus (48), a former bookkeeper, on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering totaling R2.3 million.
The duo was apprehended on Wednesday, April 23, by the Gqeberha Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit and appeared in court the same day. They were each granted bail of R5,000.
According to Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, the alleged crimes took place between 2021 and 2023, during which Bekker and Erasmus were responsible for recording and depositing the store’s daily cash income into the business account. However, it’s believed they misappropriated the funds, splitting the money between themselves.
“In some cases, they even instructed a third party to deposit money into the same account to avoid detection,” Mhlakuvana added.
The fraud was uncovered during an internal audit, which raised red flags and led to an investigation by the Hawks. Their probe confirmed that the two women allegedly colluded to steal the funds, resulting in significant financial losses for Spar.
The case has been postponed to June 17 to allow the defense team to receive and review the docket.
Brigadier Romeo Fredrick Petrus, acting provincial head of the Hawks, praised the investigators’ diligence and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to rooting out commercial crime.
