GQEBERHA – A former financial executive at Just Property Group, Sohail Govender (33), who was reportedly implicated in extensive misappropriation of corporate funds totalling over R8,2 million, was arrested by the Gqeberha Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation (SCCI) and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
Govender appeared before the Gqeberha New Law Courts on Thursday 11 December.
According to Hawks spokesperson WO Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, the arrest emanated from an advanced commercial crime investigation initiated following a complaint lodged by the Just Property Group located in Walmer, Gqeberha.
“The complaint alleged that the company’s former financial director was engaged in systematic and covert manipulation of internal financial controls, accounting systems, and online banking architecture between June 2022 and December 2023.”
He added that the investigation indicated that the accused, by virtue of his fiduciary authority and privileged access to multiple First National Bank (FNB) corporate accounts, ostensibly orchestrated repeated transfers of company funds into a Standard Bank business account under his directorship.
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“To obscure the illicit transactions and create a façade of operational legitimacy, the suspect reportedly utilised statutory and payroll-related descriptors such as South African Revenue Service’s (Sars) Pay As You Earn, Value Added Tax, and Sage Payroll,” he said.
“Subsequent internal audits apparently confirmed that these entities were not the recipients of the referenced payments.”
Rigorous financial analysis and transactional tracing by investigators identified the suspect as the ultimate beneficiary of the diverted funds.
“Govender was apprehended and formally charged with one count of theft. Govender made his first appearance before the Gqeberha New Law Court on 11 December, where he was granted bail of R10 000, and the matter was postponed to 2 April 2026 for it to be transferred to the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court,” Mhlakuvana said.
The Provincial Head of the Hawks, Maj. Gen. Mboiki Obed Ngwenya, commended the investigating team and the NPA’s Specialised Commercial Crime Unit (SCCU) for their rigorous, disciplined and methodologically sound investigative approach.
