The trial of a State Security Agency (SSA) staffer accused of defrauding the country’s spy services of more than R1 million is now set to kick off later this month.
It was supposed to start on Tuesday but was postponed as a result of the accused – Thuso Leonard Oesi – being unwell.
Oesi – who was working in the SSA’s IT department but has now been suspended – stands accused of having crooked the system to secure payment advances for training he never attended and pocketing the money, as well as to secretly up his salary.
Oesi’s trial got off to a false start on Tuesday, with the 39-year-old a no-show. This, the court heard, was due to his ill health.
His legal representative did submit a medical certificate and a warrant of arrest for Oesi was authorized but stayed until the 18 July, when he’s now due back in court.
Oesi faces seven counts of fraud, three counts of contravening the Electronic Communications and Transaction Act, nine counts of forgery, and eight counts of uttering.
According to the charge sheet, Oesi created a string of fictitious payment advance authorizations – totalling almost R900,000 – for training courses he never actually went on.
He’s also accused of having upped his salary on the payment system – twice, from R46,000 first to R80,000 and then to R174,000.
-EWN
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