logo
Former Curro accounting clerk faces court for over R2. 8 million theft

Former Curro accounting clerk faces court for over R2. 8 million theft

IOL News2 days ago
A former accounting clerk at Curro East Lynne has been released on R15,000 bail for R2.8 million alleged theft.
A 39-year-old former accounting clerk at Curro East Lynne in Pretoria has been released on R15,000 bail for R2.8 million alleged theft.
Haranet Chunisa Ullow Loetries appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate's Court on Thursday where she was released on stringent bail conditions.
Some of the conditions include that she must report to the Villieria Police Station every Monday and Friday between 6am and 8pm.
"She may not apply for a similar position, may not interfere directly or indirectly with witnesses, and may not leave the district without informing the investigating officer," said the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana.
Mahanjana added that Loetries faces a charge of theft which allegedly occurred between August 2024 and July 2025 while she was still employed as an accounting clerk at Curro East Lynne.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Twins denied bail in Durban court for the murder of Prasa manager Jacob Khoaele
Twins denied bail in Durban court for the murder of Prasa manager Jacob Khoaele

IOL News

time15 hours ago

  • IOL News

Twins denied bail in Durban court for the murder of Prasa manager Jacob Khoaele

The Durban Magistrate's Court has refused bail for twins accused of killing a Prasa boss. Image: File Twin brothers, who are accused of killing Jacob Khoaele, the regional manager of Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), over a tender, had their bail application denied by the Durban Magistrate's Court on Friday afternoon. The court found that the twins failed to provide exceptional circumstances warranting their release. Khoaele was shot dead on January 22, 2025, at La Lucia, while returning from his grandchild's school meeting. Vukani Mchunu, Vukile Mchunu, Sandile Sakhile Ngcobo, and Mthandeni Cele are charged with his murder. On Friday, the twins, Vukani and Vukile, applied for bail while Ngcobo and Cele decided to abandon it. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading In their application, the twins from Ngonyameni in Mlazi said they are 35 years old and co-own a company, Masoloma Trading. Their lawyer, Musawenkosi Mkhize, said the twins are married, with Vukani having six children and Vukile having five. He said they also co-own a property worth R700,000 and cars, which include a Ford Ranger bakkie and a Mercedes-Benz. They both stated that they are breadwinners who earn approximately R35,000 a month. He said their employees were not paid their salaries due to their incarceration, and that is why they should get bail. Mkhize said it was an exceptional circumstance that his clients were running a company. Additionally, he said his clients were traditional healers who also ran a church. Mkhize said his clients should get bail because the State has a weak case against them. 'How are the two applicants linked? The incident occurred around January this year. The number of months has lapsed, arrests were only made in July,' he said. Mkhize said, judging by what the investigating officer is saying in his affidavit, the State relied on one witness, Shange. As he was arguing, Magistrate Siyanda Mlaba asked Mkhize to tell him about the exceptional circumstances of his clients. Senior State prosecutor, Calvin Govender, said it is the onus of the applicants to prove that they have exceptional circumstances, and they have failed to do so. He reminded the court that this was a bail application and that all evidence would be led during the trial. Govender said the police wanted to get their ducks in a row before making an arrest. 'That is why there was a delay,' he explained. He submitted that the State is of the view that there would be interference with the witnesses should the twins get bail. He said the previous manager from Prasa had to resign because of the twins, who wanted to be paid for work that Prasa was not satisfied with. He said Khoale paid with his life because he also refused to pay the twins for work that Prasa was not satisfied with. 'Everyone at Prasa is afraid of the applicants due to the known fact that they threatened their colleague and killed the other,' Govender added. Delivering his ruling, Magistrate Mlaba reminded that the bail was under Schedule 6 of the Criminal Procedure Act. He said the accused were facing serious allegations, and further emphasised that this was not a trial but a bail application. Mlaba criticised Mkhize, saying that he said a lot of things but failed to tell the court why his clients should get bail. 'I remember asking him to hit the nail in the hand. I even asked him the definition of exceptional circumstances. But the attorney was not giving what I was expecting. I ended up just keeping quiet,' he said. He said the worst part was that there was no alternative address for the twins should they receive bail. He said the defence failed to tell the court those exceptional circumstances. The matter has been postponed to September 29 for further investigation.

Former attorney accused of theft, fraud released on R10,000 bail
Former attorney accused of theft, fraud released on R10,000 bail

TimesLIVE

time15 hours ago

  • TimesLIVE

Former attorney accused of theft, fraud released on R10,000 bail

Former attorney Catherine Wilheminah Papenfus appeared in the Johannesburg specialised commercial crimes court on Thursday on theft and fraud charges. Papenfus, 54, was arrested in Hermanus in the Western Cape on Saturday and was released on bail of R10,000. Between September 2010 and July 2013, Papenfus, who was an admitted attorney and conveyancer, allegedly received instructions from clients for legal assistance. 'The clients, intending to purchase properties, paid money into the attorney's trust account,' Hawks spokesperson W/O Thatohatsi Mavimbela said. 'However the suspect failed to pay the sellers and did not refund the clients.' When the clients failed to trace the attorney they lodged complaints with the Fidelity Fund for a refund and Papenfus was struck off the roll of attorneys. Her case was postponed to September 16.

Amantle Samane's family in pain as her killer found guilty
Amantle Samane's family in pain as her killer found guilty

TimesLIVE

time18 hours ago

  • TimesLIVE

Amantle Samane's family in pain as her killer found guilty

The family of six-year-old Amantle Samane, who was murdered in Soweto last year, are struggling to contain the pain caused by her killer Phethe Sara Simiao. The Mozambican, who worked as a welder, was found guilty of rape, kidnapping, murder and contravention of the Immigration Act in the Johannesburg high court on Friday. He pleaded guilty earlier in the day, saying he was intoxicated when, on October 21 2024, he saw the child playing on the street, took her to his backyard shack, kept her there against her will, raped and strangled her. His case was postponed to Tuesday for pre-sentencing proceedings. Amantle's mother Ntombizodwa Samane sobbed when the plea statement was read into the court record. The family's spokesperson Brenda Mjiyako said it was a heartbreaking session when they heard his version of the murder. 'It brought back the memories: of her last day, the pictures of where we found Amantle deceased, and the mortuary. 'The mother broke down, we all broke down in tears. We knew this day would come but we didn't think it would be so difficult. When they were reading, step by step what had happened, you could reflect back. It was painful.' She said what Simiao did was inhuman. 'There is no normal human being who can do what [he] did to Amantle. 'Next week, on Tuesday, is the beginning of sentencing. Her mother will be on the stand again and it is Amantle's birthday on Tuesday. It is not going to be easy,' she said. Amantle was playing with other children across the street from her home that day. Her mother was preparing clothes for her grade R graduation ceremony and completing other household chores, TimesLIVE reported previously. When she finished, she looked outside and saw Amantle was not there. She began searching and made the discovery of her child's body, partially undressed and covered in a blanket, only a few doors away. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane welcomed the decision by Simiao to not waste the NPA and the court's time by pleading guilty. 'We look forward to the next step, which is pre-sentencing proceedings. As the state, we will prepare a victim impact report and further evidence will also be led' she said.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store