A 26-year-old former employee of the Bloemfontein branch of the Jeppe College is expected to appear in the Bloemfontein Magistrates’ Court on 17 November to answer for alleged fraud committed a year ago. The woman is charged with allegedly defrauding the private institution of money by issuing fraudulent tax invoices.
The matter is the culmination of the ongoing investigation by the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Bloemfontein. WO Fikiswa Matoti, provincial spokesperson of the Hawks, said the suspect was served with a notice to appear in court on the date in question. She said the college reported the matter after discovering discrepancies during 2021.
Matoti said preliminary findings revealed the institute was defrauded of R21 100, which was money paid by students enrolled at the college.
“The suspect allegedly took the money students paid as fees towards their studies. She created a fraudulent tax invoice book which she used whenever she would receive payments from students. She would issue them a fraudulent tax invoice each time. She used the money for her personal use instead of depositing it into the college’s bank account, as expected of her,” said Matoti.
She said after the college opened a criminal case against the suspect, the matter was referred to the Hawks’ Serious Corruption Investigation team in Bloemfontein to conduct further investigation, culminating with a notice served to appear in court soon.
