Two females, aged 33 and 45, are scheduled to appear in the Welkom Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 29 April 2024, for fraud and theft. They are cashiers at a pharmacy in Welkom.
It is alleged that, between February 2015 and June 2020, they defrauded the pharmacy and stole cash and cosmetics. Their manager noticed shortages and started to investigate. He discovered that both cashiers were selling items and doing false voids after the customer had left. This made it look as if the transaction was invalid and the item was still in store when, in fact, the customer had paid and left with the item. They would thereafter pocket the money. Several such transactions resulted in the pharmacy losing money to the tune of R270 000.
Further investigation revealed that cosmetics received from a merchant were neither put on the shelves nor read into the system. It was later confirmed that, during the lockdown, one of the suspects instructed the merchant to deliver cosmetics at her place of residence instead of the pharmacy. These products never made their way to the pharmacy.
The matter was reported to Welkom Serious Commercial Crime Investigation who collected evidence and presented a watertight case before the National Prosecuting Authority. The court issued summons which were served on 25 and 26 March 2024 respectively. The suspects were arrested in Welkom and Johannesburg.
