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Former Louis Trichardt bank employee to appear in court for theft of R36m

The man was arrested on June 10 for allegedly stealing over R36m belonging to a deceased client which he used to buy expensive cars and donate to a church in Louis Trichardt.

POLOKWANE – A 28-year-old former bank employee will appear before the Makhado Magistrate’s Court today (June 13) on charges of fraud and theft.

The man was arrested on Friday (June 10) by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation members for allegedly stealing R36 989 051.67 belonging to a deceased client.

You might also want to read: Limpopo woman (54) pleads guilty to bank fraud

Provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Matimba Maluleke said the man was a consultant at the FNB Louis Trichardt branch and on April 25, opened the profile of a client who had just died in a car accident without any authorisation, opened a new bank account and linked it to the deceased’s account.

“These illegal activities were discovered by the bank and a case of fraud and theft was opened with the Hawks. When the suspect was approached by the bank managers about the matter, he reportedly tendered his resignation letter with immediate effect. The suspect spent the money by buying expensive cars and donated to a church,” Maluleke said.

Investigations continue and Maluleke said more arrests are expected.

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Raeesa Sempe

Raeesa Sempe is a Caxton Award-winning Digital Editor with nine years’ experience in the industry. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand and started her journey as a community journalist for the Polokwane Review in 2015. She then became the online journalist for the Review in 2016 where she excelled in solidifying the Review’s digital footprint through Facebook lives, content creation and marketing campaigns. Raeesa then moved on to become the News Editor of the Bonus Review in 2019 and scooped up the Editorial Employee of the Year award in the same year. She is the current Digital Editor of the Polokwane Review-Observer, a position she takes pride in. Raeesa is married with one child and enjoys spending time with friends, listening to music and baking – when she has the time. “I still believe that if your aim is to change the world, journalism is a more immediate short-term weapon. – Tom Stoppard

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