Accountant given suspended sentence for P500,000 theft

Principal Magistrate Sijabuliso Siziba found Maruapula guilty on all the 35 counts. He was charged with stealing P567,145,86 from the corporation over a period of one and half years. He committed the offences between December 2010 and March 2012.

Siziba said each count carries a maximum sentence of seven years in jail. “It is common cause that the accused is a first offender. The defence counsel has pleaded with the court to give him a non-custodial sentence that will not break him.  I am of the view that there is a danger that passing a custodial sentence will break the accused forever. It is a fundamental principle of law that first offenders shall be given a chance to reform,” said Siziba, adding that this was, however, subject to the nature of the offence committed.