Two senior employees in court over alleged R1.6 million payroll fraud - IOL

Two women have been granted R5,000 bail each after appearing in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on fraud charges involving more than R1.6 million.

Two former senior employees of a Klerksdorp company have appeared in court after allegedly using the banking details of employees who had left the business to divert more than R1.6 million into their own accounts.

Jeanette Sylvia Cronje, 33, and Alicia Van Der Walt, 36, appeared in the Klerksdorp Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, facing fraud charges.

The pair were arrested earlier that day by the Hawks’ Klerksdorp-based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit following an investigation into alleged fraudulent transactions spanning two years.

Hawks spokesperson Warrant Officer Nkosinathi Ndlovu said the alleged fraud occurred between 2022 and 2024 while the women were employed by Klerksdorp Business Consultants and Brokers.

Cronje allegedly served as head of payroll, while Van Der Walt was head of administration.

“Reports indicate that the accused would allegedly use details of employees who left the company and make payment into their personal bank accounts,” Ndlovu said.

The alleged scheme resulted in the company suffering losses exceeding R1.6 million.

The matter was subsequently reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit, which launched an investigation.

“Following an investigation, the accused were arrested and charged with fraud,” Ndlovu said.

Cronje and Van Der Walt were each granted R5,000 bail following their first court appearance.

The case has been postponed to November 17, 2026, when the pair are expected to appear before the Specialised Commercial Crime Court sitting in Klerksdorp.