The Gauteng education department has welcomed the conviction and sentencing of a former finance clerk at Laerskool Akasia for fraud and theft.
The Pretoria North magistrate’s court found the former employee guilty on June 9 after an investigation by the department’s anti-corruption unit. She was sentenced on November 4 to three years in prison, wholly suspended for five years, and ordered to repay R210,000 to the school.
According to the department, an internal investigation revealed that between 2019 and 2021, the clerk stole about R846,000 from the school and altered bank statements to conceal the crime.
Education MEC Matome Chiloane commended the anti-corruption unit for its diligent work in ensuring accountability and reiterated the department’s zero-tolerance stance on corruption and financial misconduct in schools. He urged school communities to report any suspected irregularities through official departmental channels.
TimesLIVE
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