Woman fraudster found guilty

Lebogang Baingapi | Wednesday September 14, 2016 16:02

 

The accused, Cathy Isaacs, was recently found guilty of obtaining P234, 937. 75 in various amounts by false pretences between 2011 and 2012.

She obtained the money by virtue of her employment as an office assistant at RBV Consultants- a privately owned domestic company that manufactures toilet papers, serviettes and garage rolls.

The company supplies various departments with its products especially toilet papers after winning government tenders.

Isaacs’s modus operandi was to use fake invoices and sales reports claiming that she had supplied various government departments with toilet paper while she knew that to be false. She apparently sold the toilet paper rolls to her own buyers then kept the money as hers, according to facts that were read before court.

The facts added that Isaacs’ luck ran out when RBV made a follow up to get the money from the various government departments.

Isaacs’ unscrupulous ways were exposed, according to the facts, after the said government departments denied ever having ordered any toilet paper rolls from RBV.

Isaacs said that she understood the facts when asked by principal magistrate Dumisani Basupi. “I understand the facts as read to me. I submitted documents that I knew were false. I did not do that deliberately. Immaturity at that time influenced me to do as I did,” Isaacs said in a low voice.

She added: “I did it because I had no funds and I knew that my actions were not legally justified. It is true that I wanted to permanently deprive the owner (RBV) of the said monies”.  After Isaacs admitted the facts, Basupi said he was satisfied that her answers were consistent with her plea of guilty. Added Basupi: “I am satisfied that her plea is unequivocal and I therefore find her guilty as charged in all the 31 counts”. Prosecutor Pascal Mandu from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) then produced a document indicating that Isaacs was a first offender.

Mandu also told the court that RBV wished to apply for compensation in order to recoup the money that Isaacs fraudulently obtained from it.

Isaacs told RBV’s representative, Obuseng Dishebo, that she does not have any money at the present moment because she has been unemployed since she was fired by RBV after she was charged with the current offences.

She added: “I would be able to pay the money in installments but not as a lump sum”.

In response, Dishebo said: “I have no comment concerning your suggestion to pay the money in instalments. I would inform my superiors about what you said”.

Basupi cancelled Isaacs’s bail after convicting her of the offences. Isaacs is due in court on September 23 for mitigation and sentence.