MPUMALANGA – Linda Ebersohn (59) pleaded guilty to 867 counts of theft at the Middelburg Regional Court on Friday, 22 July 2022 and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment of which five years was suspended for five years on condition that the accused is not convicted of an offence of which dishonesty is an element committed during the period of suspension.

The sentence followed the incident which happened between 1998 and 2017 whereby the accused who was a debtors and creditors clerk at the company where she was working created fictitious and or used existed creditors particulars on the system and made payment to her personal account. She further distributed the money to her husband and two children’s accounts.

The matter was reported to the Hawks’ Middelburg based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for further investigation. The investigation was completed and the accused was linked to the crime. She was arrested on 27 November 2018 and appeared in court on the following day. Her family members were also arrested and charged.

During the sentencing on Friday, the charges against the other three were withdrawn when Ebersohn pleaded guilty.

The Hawks’ Provincial Head, Major General Zodwa Mokoena commended the investigating officer and the prosecuting authority for securing such a sentence which will serve as a lesson to other thieves that their wrongful deeds will catch up with them.

Source: South African Police Service