“The CIC assistant’s duties entailed receiving and quality checking the new building plans which were submitted to the building inspectorate by architects and draught-persons,” Ngcakani said.
“The CIC assistant would then write out tax invoices and would submit one copy of the invoice to the treasury division of the municipality and hand over another copy to the clients for payment.”
The clients would then submit these invoices to the municipality's cashiers and make the payments.
“The clients would thereafter bring back the proof of payment to the CIC assistant, who would attach it to the invoice and documents.
“An administration clerk in the CIC would then prepare the clients’ documents for quality check and submit them to the building inspectorate.”
Reeners, Ngcakani said, pleaded guilty to receiving payments directly from clients.
Former metro clerk pleads guilty to R640,000 fraud
Image: DENEESHA PILLAY
A former Nelson Mandela Bay municipal clerk has pleaded guilty to 448 counts of fraud and forgery, amounting to more than R640,000.
Stephanie Reeners, 48, further pleaded guilty to a further three counts of forgery, the specialised commercial crimes court in Gqeberha was told.
Reeners committed the crimes between February 2012 and November 2017.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani said during her time at the municipality’s Central Information Centre (CIC), Reeners volunteered to perform some of the duties of the CIC assistant which included the submission of building plans to the building inspectorate division.
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“The CIC assistant’s duties entailed receiving and quality checking the new building plans which were submitted to the building inspectorate by architects and draught-persons,” Ngcakani said.
“The CIC assistant would then write out tax invoices and would submit one copy of the invoice to the treasury division of the municipality and hand over another copy to the clients for payment.”
The clients would then submit these invoices to the municipality's cashiers and make the payments.
“The clients would thereafter bring back the proof of payment to the CIC assistant, who would attach it to the invoice and documents.
“An administration clerk in the CIC would then prepare the clients’ documents for quality check and submit them to the building inspectorate.”
Reeners, Ngcakani said, pleaded guilty to receiving payments directly from clients.
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“She further pleaded guilty to attaching fictitious payment receipts to the tax invoices and in so doing gave the impression to the building inspectorate that the cashiers at the treasury division had received the payments.
“She never handed over the money to the treasury division but instead used it for personal use.”
Reeners also pleaded guilty to three counts of forgery which she committed in November 2017.
“She used the information on her supervisor’s salary advice to create three false salary advices which she created under her name,” Ngcakani said.
“The court accepted the guilty plea and found her guilty of 224 counts of fraud and 227 counts of forgery.”
The case was postponed to May 4 for sentencing.
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