Durban - A financial manager who defrauded the company she worked for more than R950 000, has been sent to jail for 6 years.
Samantha Michelle Taggert, 38, was this week convicted in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 17 counts of fraud.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Taggert was employed as a financial manager at Vansan SA CC.
The company sells water pumps.
She had resigned in October 2017 after working there for a year.
Her duties, the NPA said, included receiving all electronic and cash payments for the company, making cash and electronic payments to suppliers, as well as making Pay As You Earn (PAYE) and VAT payments to the SA Revenue Service (Sars).
“However, instead of making those payments, for a period of six months from February to July 2017, Taggert transferred money meant for suppliers and Sars to her own personal bank account,” said provincial NPA spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana.
“This was discovered when a supplier enquired about their payment and Taggert was questioned by the company director.
“After being questioned, Taggert resigned from her job.”
The director then visited her home to enquire about the money.
“Taggert returned R120 000 that was still in the company money seal bag. A few weeks later, her father repaid R500 000 to the company.”
In court, she pleaded guilty to all the charges and asked the court to impose a non-custodial sentence because she was remorseful and repaid some of the money.
“However, the State argued Taggert only pleaded guilty because the State had overwhelming evidence against her.”
The State also argued she had acted out of greed.
In his sentence, Magistrate Ignatius de Preez agreed with the State Taggert was not remorseful and she only stopped her thievery not because of her guilt, but because she was caught.
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