The Gqeberha Regional Court has sentenced a former banking service consultant and his accomplice to 15 years’ imprisonment for fraud, along with five years for organised crime.
The Gqeberha Regional Court has sentenced a former banking service consultant and his accomplice to 15 years’ imprisonment for fraud, along with five years for organised crime.
The convictions of Bantu Ntutwana, 36, and Lunga Sinyaza, 45, stem from a brazen scheme to embezzle funds from the accounts of a deceased man.
Septimus Hauptfleisch died on November 1, 2015, at the age of 88.
His widow, Alette Hauptfleisch, was appointed executor of his estate.
However, between February 2016 and March 2016, Ntutwana, who worked as a multi-skilled service consultant at FNB's Newtown Park branch, manipulated the system, accessing Hauptfleisch's accounts without authorisation.
NPA Eastern Cape spokesperson, Luxolo Tyali said: “Despite an Online Fingerprint Verification (OFV) indicating Hauptfleisch's death, Ntutwana manually verified the identity of an unknown person as Hauptfleisch. He then changed contact details, issued a replacement card, increased daily limits, requested an early redemption and then transferred R480 714.38 to one of the two accounts which belonged to the deceased.”
According to the NPA, Ntutwana further added a payment link to Sinyaza's account, enabling electronic transfers. Within days, R15 000 was withdrawn from Sinyaza's account.
“Although the duo pleaded not guilty, Senior State Advocate, Ulrike De Klerk led the evidence of an FNB forensic investigator who detailed how Ntutwana manipulated the banking systems to transfer funds to Sinyaza's account. Additionally, Hawks investigator, Captain Moodley presented Sinyaza's warning statement and admissions made by both accused, which reduced the number of disputed issues in the case,” Tyali said.
Following the sentencing, Ntutwana applied for leave to appeal against the conviction and was granted bail pending appeal.
Sinyanza's leave to appeal against the conviction and sentence was refused, and a bail petition was denied.
Eastern Cape director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo, commended the prosecution and investigation teams for their efforts.
“This verdict demonstrates our commitment to protecting the vulnerable banking clients and upholding the integrity of our financial institutions. It serves as a testament to the power of effective teamwork and our collective pursuit of accountability,” he said.
The sentences are set to run concurrently.
Cape Times
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