A 50-year-old woman from the Eastern Cape escaped jail time after being convicted of stealing funds from a community bank account.
Nompumelelo Goqwana was convicted of fraud and theft this week in the Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.
She was ordered to pay a fine of R15,000.
According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks), Goqwana was arrested alongside Nkosithandile Bakana Gowana, 36, and Mthandeni Mnukwa, 56.
However, both died in 2022, and the charges were withdrawn.
Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana said in 2007, the community of Esiphaqeni in Flagstaff was awarded the installation of a Vodacom network pole.
“The reports divulged that the community nominated three individuals to open a bank account and become signatories for Vodacom to be able to deposit cash as part of its rental to the community.
“The bank account was controlled by those three signatories who were responsible for the management of funds.”
Mhlakuvana said that in 2018, the three accused allegedly forcefully took over from the previous authorized signatories by nominating themselves as new signatories.
“It was later discovered that the trio misappropriated the Esiphaqeni community funds and used cash to their own benefit without the authorization of the elected committee,” Mhlakuvana said.
The total amount that was misappropriated was in the region of R350,000.
Mhlakuvana said the matter was referred to the Hawks, and all three were arrested on August 5, 2020, and after appearing in court, were each released on R5,000 bail.
“They made numerous court appearances until the two passed on, and Goqwana pleaded guilty on charges of theft for an actual prejudiced amount of R62,000,” Mhlakuvana said.
Goqwana was sentenced to pay a fine of R15,000 or four years direct imprisonment, which was wholly suspended for a period of three years, on condition that she does not commit a similar offence during the period of suspension.
-IOL News
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