The Colesberg Regional Court, in Northern Cape has sentenced 40-year-old Sivuyile Stali and his wife, Vivian Stali, aged 31 after finding them guilty on charges of fraud/theft and money laundering.
The husband, Sivuyile was sentenced to six years direct imprisonment after being charged with 262 counts of fraud/theft and money laundering.
Northern Cape Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe said the Vivian was sentenced to three years correctional supervision, which entails house arrest and 16 hours per month community service.
“The couple was accused of defrauding Colesberg-based Umsobomvu Local Municipality an amount of R2,490,759. The husband, Mr Stali was employed by the municipality as a chief clerk responsible for salaries, and used his position to defraud the municipality by transferring the municipal funds into his personal account and that of his wife,” Thebe said.
The Hawks’ serious commercial crime investigation team, working in conjunction with the National Director of Public Prosecutions’ Asset Forfeiture Unit, had earlier secured a recovery order, amounting to R364,753.
“The same court ordered the South African Local Authority Fund to pay the order amount (the R364 753) from Mr Stali’s pension savings. The confiscation order is in-line with section 18 (1) of Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA),” said Thebe.
Sivuyile Stali was further declared unfit to possess a firearm in line with Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act.
Meanwhile, provincial head of the Hawks in Northern Cape, Major General Stephen Mabuela has saluted the investigation team for working together and securing the recovery of money and conviction.
IOL