Rakesh Maharaj Sentenced to 8 Years for Fraud and Corruption

Written by
Charlene Somduth

A logistics manager, Rakesh Maharaj, was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted of fraud, corruption, and money laundering related to his work at Consulens Health Care Solution PTY. Maharaj manipulated company stock systems to create false product requirements, resulting in fraudulent invoices and payments of R24 million.

Between January 2015 and September 2017, Maharaj colluded with accomplices to falsify records and divert company funds. The fraud was uncovered by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team, leading to Maharaj’s arrest in November 2021.

Maharaj was convicted on 103 counts of fraud, 102 counts of corruption, and one count of money laundering. He was sentenced to a total of 25 years, but with some sentences suspended. His sentence will run concurrently, meaning he will serve a total of eight years in prison.

His accomplices, Oleena Dauchand and Debi George, are scheduled to continue their trial in October 2024.

The KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) has commended the Hawks for their work in bringing the case to court.