Man sentenced to 10 years for defrauding car dealership over R5M
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, between January 2011 and June 2014, Bezuidenhout and Marie Niewenhys conspired to defraud Imperial Toyota.
The Nelspruit Regional Court convicted Mark Donovan Bezuidenhout to 10 years imprisonment for defrauding his employer over R5 million.
Bezuidenhout sold 19 vehicles to various customers who unknowingly deposited money into his personal bank account. Marie Niewenhys assisted by covering up the transactions and handing over fake statements to Imperial’s financial manager.
“The company suffered a huge loss of R 5 051 778, 18, investigations were initiated and Bezuidenhout was arrested. The accused pleaded guilty to 19 counts of fraud and confirmed that he had no right or permission to steal the money. Advocate Peter Serunye led to evidence of his employers in aggravation of sentence. His employers were extremely disappointed with the accused since they had trusted him,” said the NPA.
Niewenhys was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Six years of the sentence was suspended for a period of five years. The charges against her were withdrawn because he had co-operated with the police and turned state witness. The sentence will send a strong message to other would be perpetrators that crime does not pay.
