Intsika Yethu Local Municipality alleged fraudsters released on warning
The Mthatha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court has released Nonesi Mguca (49) a payroll officer and Namhla Toni (43) an administration clerk on warning after they appeared before the court on October 3, 2022. This is after their arrest by the Mthatha based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team of the Hawks, on the very same day of their detention for allegations of fraud. “It is alleged that in May 2019 an expenditure officer at Intsika Yethu Local Municipality in Cofimvaba was doing a month end expenditure report which included the staff salaries.”
“She noticed that the remuneration list was not the same as the one she already imported to the First National Bank for the month ending on May 25, 2019. She scrutinized the reports and established discrepancies which started in September 2018 in the monthly salaries of the duo,” said provincial Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela.
Due to the fraudulent activities and manipulation of the payroll system, the debts to the total amount of more than R170 000 owed by the duo is alleged to have been paid by the municipality. Extensive probing by the Hawks confirmed that Mguca and Toni allegedly colluded to make fraudulent changes on the payroll system to avoid some financial deductions from their salaries which resulted in the arrest of the duo on October 3, 2022.
The matter was remanded to December 2, 2022, for legal representation.