Pretoria - An Eastern Cape bookkeeper was sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud after stealing R2.4 million from clients of two tax firms she worked for between 2017 and 2020.
Linda Labuschagne, 44, was employed as a bookkeeper at the BVSA Tax Consultancy Firm and DP Wealth Tax Consultancy. From BVSA, she misappropriated more than R1.7m and more than R680 000 from DP Wealth.
“Labuschagne orchestrated the transactions by providing clients from both companies with bank accounts purporting to be those of Sars, whereas they were her personal bank details.
“The Tax Consultancy firms received complaints from their clients for unpaid tax returns, and they decided to lodge complaints with the Gqeberha based Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, which led to her subsequent arrest on 20 July 2021,’’ said Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela.
Mgolodela added that Labuschagne was released on R10 000 bail with conditions to cease her fraudulent conduct.
“She did not adhere to the bail conditions by continuing with other fraudulent tendencies that resulted in her re-arrest by the Commercial Branch Mount Road Task Team on 19 August 2022.”
Her new case has been remanded to 26 September 2022 for trial processes.
Mgolodela said the sentence left the provincial head, Major General Obed Ngwenya, proud of the team for utilising their investigation skills which led to the arrest of Labuschagne.
Ngwenya hoped this sentence would be a deterrent to the other would-be perpetrators.
IOL