Hawks nab PE fraudster after a year on the run

A 36-year-old woman from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape who was on the run for almost a year has been rearrested.

Rhonda Zeelie was found guilty of fraud amounting to almost R500 000 in September 2019 and her bail was extended, pending sentencing – which was due to take place on 18 October the same year – but she went missing in action.

According to the Hawks, Zeelie was an accountant at a company based in Port Elizabeth and misappropriated funds and directed them to her personal account between 2017 and 2018.

In June 2019 following her arrest, Zeelie was granted R2 000 bail.

“She was finally rearrested on Friday by the same team in Port Elizabeth after absconding the court processes for almost a year,” Hawks spokesperson Lwando Zenzile said.

Zeelie will appear in the Port Elizabeth Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday for contempt of court and sentencing.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.