The Hawks Acting Provincial Head in the Western Cape Brigadier Mushavhaduvha Ramovha welcomed the sentence against an official from the Oudtshoorn Municipality sentenced yesterday by the Oudtshoorn Regional Court.
Frikkie van Staden (55) the Municipality’s road parks superintendent will effectively serve four (4) years imprisonment after being convicted and sentenced for fraud to the tune of over R1.9 million.
The Hawks Serious Commercial Crime investigation team in George revealed that between 2010 to 2014, van Staden who was responsible for the maintenance of roads amongst other things in the Municipality instructed his sister-in-law to register a company under her name. He took over the company’s operation to score contracts within the municipality without the knowledge of the sister-in-law.
Van Staden was sentenced to seven (7) years imprisonment for corruption of which 3 years were suspended on condition that he is not convicted of similar crimes during the period of the suspension. He was further sentenced to 2 years imprisonment for contravening the POCA Act. A further five years imprisonment for fraud wholly suspended for five years with the condition was additionally imposed on him.
Van Staden will effectively serve four years of direct imprisonment.