‘Fraud is a cancer that is crippling our country’: Supreme Court of Appeal upholds 20-year jail sentence for ‘remorseful’ R5 million fraudster

[schumi]

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The Supreme Court of Appeal has upheld a 20-year prison sentence for Victor Kwenda, who stole less than R5 million from Merseta.Kwenda's team argued he was a remorseful first offender, and wanted to pay back the money.But fraud is crippling South Africa – and stealing from a Sector Education and Training Authority, and so indirectly from the jobseekers it serves, is a very grave offence, the SCA said.

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has upheld a 20-year prison sentence for a fraudster who was a first offender and stole R4.9 million in total – which he offered to pay back.

Victor Kwenda had pleaded guilty and had shown remorse, his representatives had told the SCA in seeking to have his sentence reduced.

But the court took a stern line – in a clear warning to others who may find themselves before the courts in future.

"The scourge of white collar crime, especially fraud, is currently the order of the day in our country," the court said in the first line of its judgment. "Fraud is a cancer that is crippling our country from the core and takes away from the poorest of the poor."

More at : https://www.businessinsider.co.za/s...ars-for-merseta-employee-victor-kwenda-2019-9

 

[Ancalagon]

20 years for him, but nothing for Zuma I guess.

 

[Deadmanza]

Haha some animals are more equal than other animals?

 

[Okty]

20 years for him, but nothing for Zuma I guess.

His laywers should have just said Zuma and Co has never payed back any money or served any jail time, so why should their client?

 

[Lucas Buck]

I will be happy when I start seeing corrupt thieving politicians start receiving 20-year sentences. At least this guy is showing remorse and offering to pay the money back, which is more than can be said for Zuma and co.

It's strange how annoyed I am at the moment reading about this guy’s sentence.

 

[Jopie Fourie]

20 years for him, but nothing for Zuma I guess.

Jacob Zuma should get life imprisonment for his corruption. But, we all know this is not going to happen, especially politically. I doubt the government has the political will to gun Zuma. Besides, among the masses, people like Zuma, Mugabe, Malema and the likes are seen as gods and national icons. So, I think people should put this behind them and forget about any future actions against these people.

 

[TheChamp]

I will be happy when I start seeing corrupt thieving politicians start receiving 20-year sentences. At least this guy is showing remorse and offering to pay the money back, which is more than can be said for Zuma and co.

It's strange how annoyed I am at the moment reading about this guy’s sentence.

What you need to know about Rubben Mohlaloga

Rubben Mohlaloga was found guilty of defrauding the Land Bank of about R6 million during his tenure as the chairperson of a Parliament portfolio committee in 2008.

ewn.co.za

Happy?

 

[Lucas Buck]

What you need to know about Rubben Mohlaloga

Rubben Mohlaloga was found guilty of defrauding the Land Bank of about R6 million during his tenure as the chairperson of a Parliament portfolio committee in 2008.

ewn.co.za

Happy?

No

 

[TheChamp]

No

But what do want?

 

[Okty]

But what do want?

We want the big fish to go to jail, not small fry like the above.

Getting the big ones and showing high level corruption will not be tolerated will also have a positive shift downwards to the small fry.

 

[Mekon]

We want the big fish to go to jail, not small fry like the above.

Getting the big ones and showing high level corruption will not be tolerated will also have a positive shift downwards to the small fry.

Not going to happen. Zuma and co might get a suspended sentence but that is a long shot. As for the Gupta's? those spineless turds dropped everything and ran when the accusations started flying. Hopefully they will pi## of the wrong people and become fish food in the future.

 

[yebocan]

remorseful, se gat ...only reason one is remorseful, is when you get caught...

 

[skimread]

20 years. How long will he sit for that 5-7 years? So basically he gets paid 1 million a year doing f'all.

And this is the harshest sentence. No wonder corruption is out of control.

 

[LPCPT]

Jail time and get the money back.

 

[surface]

remorseful, se gat ...only reason one is remorseful, is when you get caught...

remorse - this is standard procedure to get lenient sentence I believe. Apart from penny, has anybody not shown remorse recently?

 

[Lucas Buck]

But what do want?

Zuma in jail and more politicians facing prison time.

 

[Deleted member]

The AFU should obviously pursue this and get the money back. Good sentence, he must serve at least 2/3 of it and people must know that fraud / corruption is now being taken seriously

 

[deweyzeph]

Something's wrong when you get a harsher sentence for fraud than you would for rape or murder.

 

[surface]

20 years. How long will he sit for that 5-7 years? So basically he gets paid 1 million a year doing f'all.

And this is the harshest sentence. No wonder corruption is out of control.

I missed reading this. He is getting paid for what?

 

[TheChamp]

Something's wrong when you get a harsher sentence for fraud than you would for rape or murder.

Is that not a tired argument though? there are people who get three years for fraud and there are people who get life for rape or murder.