Last week, the Graskop Regional Court convicted and sentenced Siphiwe Emily Mashinini (44) to eight years imprisonment and a 5 year suspension for fraud, theft, and money laundering of over R 5 million.
During 2011, Mashinini was employed as a finance clerk for MEGA responsible for payments to small businesses. In 2012, she allegedly changed the account numbers of the service providers and substituted them with that of her ex-husband, Mhlupheki Ngobeni and their family business.
She was first arrested together with her former colleagues and friends, Thulisile Nkundla, her husband Mfeleni Louis Nkundla, Dinah Nkosi, Thulisile Maseko for fraud, theft and money laundering committed after transferring money amounting to R 5 Million from the agency to their Standard bank business accounts. The Standard Bank (Pty) Ltd was also charged for contravention of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act by failing to report suspicious transactions but the bank was not found guilty.
The accused were all found guilty and sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in respect of each of 18 counts of theft, wholly suspended for five years on condition that they were not convicted on money laundering committed during the period of suspension. The Asset Forfeiture Unit(AFU) was granted Confiscation Orders against their properties including houses, motor vehicles and pension funds.
