The Durban Specialised Commercial Crime Court has sentenced Ramonia Naidu, 46, for her involvement in a fraudulent scheme during her employment at the Anchor Yeast company in Amanzimtoti.
Naidu was involved in fraudulent activities between May 2017 and November 2018, where she colluded with a service provider responsible for supplying chemicals to Anchor Yeast.
An investigation revealed that Naidu exploited her position as an employee of the company by placing fraudulent orders and falsifying delivery notes, ultimately defrauding the company of more than R2 million. The fraudulent transactions went undetected until the company conducted an audit prompted by suspicions of irregularities.
Upon discovering the fraudulent activities, Anchor Yeast reported the case of fraud and corruption to the Amanzimtoti police station. The Hawks members from Durban Serious Corruption Investigation then investigated the case.
Naidu was arrested in April 2023, and after multiple court appearances, was convicted in December of the same year. The court sentenced Naidu to eight years of imprisonment for fraud, with three years suspended for five years, contingent on her not being convicted of theft or fraud during the suspension period. Additionally, she received a concurrent four-year sentence for corruption.