On Friday, 22 January 2021, a former administration clerk for Chris Bury Appliances, a Port Elizabeth based entity has been sentenced to effective seven years imprisonment in the Commercial Crime Court for one count of fraud and one count of theft.
The Hawks Serious Commercial Crime Investigation resulted in Rhonda Zeelie (37), being arrested on 17 May 2019 following a complaint by her then employer. The Investigation revealed that in her capacity as an administrator she stole about R470 000-00 from the beginning of 2016 to May 2018 by unlawfully transferring funds from the business bank account into her own. She then ‘cooked the books’ in a futile attempt to mask her dishonest transactions.
Following numerous court appearances and a trial, the court convicted Zeelie on 17 October 2019 which has now culminated in her sentencing on Friday, 22 January 2021.
The court has sentenced her on two counts, one of fraud and the other of theft.
Count 1- 5 years imprisonment and Count 2 – 2 years imprisonment.
