The Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigations (Hawks) on Wednesday arrested a couple who allegedly embezzled over R13 million from the Sentraal Suid Kooperasie, an agricultural co-operative in the Western Cape.
The couple, who were employed by Sentraal Suid Kooperasie in Swellendam, allegedly exploited their positions within the company to commit their crimes.
Jacques Daniel Buys, 47, and Annemie Buys, 46, were arrested on charges of fraud, theft, and money laundering by the Hawks' Bellville-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in conjunction with Swellendam detectives. The arrests took place on Tuesday, July 16, and they appeared in court on the same day.
Jacques, a senior manager, is accused of altering the bank account details of a supplier within the company's accounting system.
The couple allegedly opened a bank account in the name of their nine-year-old daughter. They reportedly transferred funds fraudulently into this account, which was then used as a conduit to channel money into various other accounts owned by the couple.
Investigations by the Hawks have revealed the extent of the fraudulent activity, which dates back to December 2010.
Over a span of nearly twelve years, from 2010 to 2022, the accused allegedly transferred a staggering total of R13,797,069.73. These funds were moved through numerous accounts, making the money trail complex and challenging to untangle.
Annemie Buys was granted bail set at R1,000, while Jacques Buys was released on a warning due to an unrelated matter for which he is already out on bail.
The case has been postponed to August 12 to allow time for the legal aid application to be processed.
IOL