Pretoria - An administration official at the Groblersdal Academy, 65-year-old Jocoba Johanna Kitshoff has appeared before the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court 2022 after she was arrested on charges of fraud.
Captain Matimba Maluleke, Limpopo provincial spokesperson for the Hawks said Kitshoff was nabbed by the elite crime-fighting unit’s Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team members for allegedly stealing R3.6 million from her employer.
“It is alleged that in August 2021, the accused accessed the school’s bank account after school hours and transferred R3.6m into her personal bank account without being authorized,” said Maluleke.
“The school discovered the alleged embezzlement of funds and reported the matter to the Hawks. During the investigation, it was discovered that the accused has actually lost all that money through an investment scam.”
Kitshoff was granted R6 000 bail and her case was postponed to 18 November.
In June, a 28-year-old former bank employee was arrested by the Hawks in Limpopo for allegedly stealing almost R37m belonging to a deceased client of the First National Bank (FNB).
“It is alleged that on April 25, the suspect who was an FNB consultant at Makhado branch, opened the profile of the client who had just died in a vehicle accident a day before (April 24, 2022) without any authorisation,” Maluleke said at the time.
“It is further alleged that the suspect connived with his accomplice to open a new bank account and linked it to the deceased's account and started spending all the money from the deceased’s account.”
The Hawks said a total of R36 989 051 was looted from the deceased client.
Maluleke said the illegal activities were discovered by the bank, and a case of fraud and theft was opened with the Hawks.
When the 28-year-old FNB employee was approached by the bank managers about the matter, he reportedly tendered his resignation letter with immediate effect.
“During the investigation, it was discovered that some of the stolen money was used to buy expensive cars and donate to a certain church,” said Maluleke.
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