A former senior accountant escaped jail time when the Alexandra Magistrates’ Court sentenced her to an eight-year sentence, wholly suspended for five years, for defrauding her employers of R2.2 million.
The court heard that Sonet Peyper, who admitted guilt, committed the offence between 21 December 2012 and 23 October 2013 while employed as a senior accountant by a motor industry company in Randburg. She is said to have fraudulently transferred varying amounts of money from the company’s bank account into six other bank accounts of her own at two major banks. She was arrested in August last year and was given bail until her sentencing on 23 July this year.
Her suspended sentence was passed after she expressed remorse and reached an agreement with the company to pay back a lump sum of R300 000. In addition, she agreed to pay back R5 000 per month, and to forfeit her accumulated pension and life cover policy which will be paid to the company.
