The Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court officially sentenced Dedre van Rooyen, a former employee of the Newcastle Municipality, bringing the long-running saga to a conclusion.
The court announced its decision on Thursday, June 1, 2023.
Newcastillian News initially reported van Rooyen’s arrest in October 2020, shedding light on her fraudulent activities, which cost the Newcastle Municipality approximately R3.1 million. Following her arrest, the court granted her bail in the amount of R50,000.
During her arrest, van Rooyen had associations with the Budget and Treasury Office of the Newcastle Municipality. The Hawks conducted subsequent investigations, revealing that she had been withdrawing a second salary from the municipality between February 2012 and June 2020.
Although the court found van Rooyen guilty in October 2022, it needed to determine the appropriate sentencing. On June 1, 2023, the court announced its decision, imposing several years of imprisonment on van Rooyen.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in KwaZulu-Natal, stated that van Rooyen received a conviction on 88 counts of fraud.
During the sentencing, the court considered all these counts. Consequently, van Rooyen received a 10-year prison sentence, with two years suspended for five years. The court suspended the sentence on the condition that she refrains from committing any further acts of fraud or theft during the suspension period.
As a result, van Rooyen faces eight years in prison. We invite readers to share their thoughts and opinions on this case in the comment section below.
Comments 1
That took some time! Well done on the conviction, but what about the rest?