Johannesburg – A former Joshua Door employee has been sentenced to five years of direct imprisonment by Port Alfred Regional Court for fraud and money laundering.
According to the Hawks, Unathi Golela, 39, was a credit manager during the period between August and November 2014.
“It is during this time that she unlawfully, falsely, and intentionally created fraudulent credit applications with Comprehensive Insurance Cover on clients.
“The clients were already deceased at the time that the contracts were entered into with Joshua Door.
“The action of the accused gave out to Joshua Door that all applications and Comprehensive Insurance covers are authentic, and Joshua Door suffered a potential loss of approximately R600 000,” the Hawks said.
According to the Hawks, they investigated the matter when it was brought to their attention, and that led to the arrest of Golela in 2019, after which she was released on a warning.
Meanwhile, the Hawks' Priority Crime Specialised Investigation (PCSI) at Head Office, working in collaboration with the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), secured a preservation order for a vehicle valued at R80 000.
The Hawks say that the preservation order was awarded by the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court in Joburg on May 15, 2023. This followed the arrest of a 59-year-old Chinese woman by Hawks' Serious Organised Crime Investigation together with Ekurhuleni Metro Police for possession of rhino horns.
“The team acted on information received about a foreign national driving a blue Honda CRV in Bedfordview, Joburg.
“The team spotted the vehicle fitting the description; it was stopped and searched on April 19, 2019.
“Two rhino horns were recovered, and the vehicle used to transport the rhino horns was seized for further investigation.
“The suspect was released on R100 000 bail by the Germiston Regional Court on June 10, 2019.
“She never returned to court; subsequently, her bail money was forfeited to the state, and a warrant for her arrest was issued,” added the Hawks.
The Star