A Grahamstown woman appeared briefly in the Port Alfred Magistrate’s Court last week on charges of defrauding the company where she worked of more than R1-million.
A Grahamstown woman appeared briefly in the Port Alfred Magistrate’s Court last week on charges of defrauding the company where she worked of more than R1-million.
Nadine Cecilia Cloete (42) is accused by Geospatial and Remote Sensing Services of defrauding the company of more than R680 000 through fake bank accounts and of paying out more than R175 000 in salaries to two staff members who are deceased."
Cloete’s appearance in the magistrate’s court follows an uncontested civil trial last November where documents produced by her former employer were shown to explain how she had charged personal goods to company credit cards, double paid herself bonuses and salaries, and went on holidays at the expense of the company.
Working as a personal assistant to company owner Clyde Mallinson, Cloete is thought to have siphoned off the money over more than two years.
An investigation began when the owner “noticed large sums of money being unaccounted for.” According to the default judgement last year, Cloete was ordered to pay back the R1 002 929.20 she had defrauded from the company, plus interest and legal costs.
The matter, postponed until 4 May to allow for further investigations and an outstanding audit report, is likely to be moved to the Special Crimes Court in Port Elizabeth because of the extent of the alleged fraud and the large amount involved.
