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- A woman has been arrested after an accountant allegedly stole R5 million from his employer and transferred it to her bank account.
- It's alleged that he did so under the pretence that she was a service provider.
- Some of the money was later transferred to the accountant's bank account.
A North West woman has appeared in court in connection with allegations that an accountant transferred R5 million from his construction company employer to her bank account.
The accountant, Evan Mutale, 44, was the first to be arrested. He is out on R10 000 bail.
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It is alleged that he transferred the money to the account of Dineo Precious Powane under the pretence that he was paying a service provider on behalf of his employer, Jaira Constructions and Projects.
"In the process, he deceived his supervisor to make final authorisations for money to be transferred into Powane's bank account.
"Investigations revealed that some of this money was later transferred to his bank account ...," North West National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Henry Mamothame said.
Mamothame said Powane had no links to Jaira Constructions and Projects but that she was known to Mutale.
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The police's Provincial Commercial Crime Unit arrested Mutale on 12 April 2023 in Rustenberg and charged him with 21 counts of fraud and three alternative charges of money laundering.
Powane made a brief appearance in the Rustenburg Magistrate's Court on Tuesday on three charges of money laundering. She was released on a R3 000 bail.
North West Director of Public Prosecutions Rachel Makhari and North West police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Sello Kwena, expressed their satisfaction with the progress made in the case.
Mamothame added:
Powane and Mutale are scheduled to appear in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Rustenburg on 7 June for a pre-trial conference.
