Hefty jail term for woman who stole R16m from company

A woman who stole R16m from her company over three years has been sentence to 12 years' imprisonment.

The Pretoria specialised commercial crimes sentenced Lizette Marielle Steyn, 56, after she pleaded guilty to 85 counts of theft

Steyn was employed as finance and administration manager by AgriCAD, a company that manufactures agricultural implements,  from February 2019.

Her responsibilities included loading creditors for payment on the business bank account monthly and doing day-to-day bookkeeping and accounting. She had full access to the AgriCAD’s Absa bank accounts.

“During her employment, Steyn would change the details of one of the AgriCAD Absa bank accounts and replace it with her six different personal Capitec accounts,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said on Friday. 

She said from October 27 2020 until May 9 2023, 85 different payments of more than R16m for the company were paid into her personal bank accounts.

“With the funds, Steyn installed solar panels in her house and bought luxury items, a caravan, and a vehicle for her son-in-law. She also paid for her daughter’s wedding, and her family’s weekends away and holidays.” 

Steyn was arrested on July 18 last year and had remained in custody since then. 

She pleaded guilty to the charges and said she stole the money to pay debts because her husband lost his job. 

Steyn asked the court to consider her ill health and that she was a first-time offender when imposing a sentence.

However the prosecutor, advocate Rachelle van der Walt argued that as much as Steyn was a first-time offender, her offences were committed over three years.

In delivering the sentence, magistrate Ignatius du Preez said Steyn pleaded guilty because she had no other option.

“Her change of heart and acknowledgment of her criminal conduct originated from being caught and not from her true inner feelings of regret. Therefore, she had no choice but to concede defeat,” the magistrate said. 

He said Steyn committed the offence when she was at an age where it was expected of her to be able to distinguish between right from wrong.

“Furthermore, courts are increasingly faced with the situation where offenders with medical challenges commit serious offences, as such illness cannot be used as a licence to commit crime,” Du Preez said.

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