Prishne Khan, a former finance manager at Customer Loyalty Consultant, was found guilty of committing an R3.5-million fraud and received a 10-year prison sentence.
During Khan’s arrest at her Nigel home, the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court was informed that she was discovered hiding in a freezer.
Khan claimed that she stole the money because she was having financial problems and that she planned to use it to purchase necessities, such as a car for her spouse.
Nevertheless, the court also found that she was feeding her gambling addiction with the stolen funds.
Dishonest business practices
Khan began engaging in dishonest business practices when she worked as the Northern Cricket Union’s bookkeeper from 2015 to 2017.
Processing payments for service providers was Khan’s responsibility. On invoices, though, she changed the banking information, sending money to her cousin and husband instead.
She stole R350 000 from the company over the course of six weeks, from May to June 2016, and she resigned when her illegal activity was brought to light.
Khan subsequently obtained a job at Customer Loyalty Consultant as a finance manager, where she defrauded the business of R3-million using the same scheme.
She had access to the bank accounts and banking systems because she was the company’s financial manager. Using this access, she redirected money to her accounts.
She needed assistance from another employee who was in charge of the tokens in order to fully process the payments, which caused her plan to be delayed.
Khan got the token after quitting the company in September 2017 and released R3-million in payments between September 2017 and March 2018.
Violation of employers’ trust
Regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Lumka Mahanjana stated that the bank’s concerns regarding multiple transactions led to the discovery of these illegal activities.
“During sentencing, Khan sought leniency based on her responsibilities towards her three minor children, aged six, 12, and 15, and her ill-health,” said Mahanjana.
The prosecutor, advocate Pulane Segalo, rejected these pleas, claiming that Khan had committed serious offences that violated her employers’ confidence.
The magistrate concluded that Khan acted out of greed. She entered a guilty plea, but the magistrate observed that she showed no real regret.
“The NPA welcomes the ruling and reaffirms its commitment to holding offenders accountable for commercial crimes,” said Mahanjana.
“This case serves as a reminder that the NPA is dedicated to prosecuting fraud and maintaining integrity in financial dealings in South Africa.”
