The Mthatha
Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has released Nonesi Mguca (49) a payroll
officer and Namhla Toni (43) an administration clerk on warning after they
appeared before the court on October 3, 2022.
This is after their
arrest by the Mthatha based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks,
on the very same day of their detention for allegations of fraud.
“It is alleged that
in May 2019 an expenditure officer at Intsika Yethu Local Municipality in
Cofimvaba was doing a month end expenditure report which included the staff
salaries.”
“She noticed that
the remuneration list was not the same as the one she already imported to the
First National Bank for the month ending on May 25, 2019. She scrutinized the
reports and established discrepancies which started in September 2018 in the
monthly salaries of the duo,” said provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa
Mgolodela.
Due to the
fraudulent activities and manipulation of the payroll system, the debts to the
total amount of more than R170 000 owed by the duo is alleged to have been paid
by the municipality.
Extensive probing
by the Hawks confirmed that Mguca and Toni allegedly colluded to make
fraudulent changes on the payroll system to avoid some financial deductions
from their salaries which resulted in the arrest of the duo on October 3, 2022.
The matter was
remanded to December 2, 2022, for legal representation.
