A Gqeberha man who helped defraud a reusable pallet company out of R1m by selling non-existent pallets to customers has been sentenced to an effective five years’ imprisonment.
Alfonzo Brown, 34, was found guilty of fraud and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act in the Gqeberha commercial crimes court.
It was found that he had devised a scheme to enrich himself and his co-accused, Rodney Oliver, who has since died, through false presences and the misappropriation of funds.
The two had worked for CHEP SA (Pty) Ltd.
The court found that Brown and Oliver had submitted false information to clients, claiming that they could sell “repaired pallets” to replace outstanding pallets on their accounts.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the men then misappropriated the funds from clients who had paid for these non-existent repaired pallets and manipulated the company’s computer system to reflect false returns of pallets.
He said the scheme resulted in a total loss of almost R1m to CHEP SA.
Arguing in aggravation of sentence, state advocate Wilhelm de Villiers highlighted the seriousness of Brown’s offences and the need to hold individuals accountable for their actions.
Magistrate Nolitha Bara agreed with the prosecution, stating that Brown’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law.
He was accordingly sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, with two years suspended for five years, meaning he will spend an effective five years behind bars.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Barry Madolo applauded the prosecution, the police, and CHEP SA’s internal investigation team for their meticulous and tireless efforts in bringing the case to court.
“This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of exploiting employers and the importance of honesty and compliance,” he said.
“Serious commercial crimes threaten the economic stability of the country, hence the NPA will channel all its resources to ensure we adopt an aggressive stance in prosecuting them.”
HeraldLIVE
Man sentenced for selling ‘non-existent’ pallets to customers
Image: 123RF
A Gqeberha man who helped defraud a reusable pallet company out of R1m by selling non-existent pallets to customers has been sentenced to an effective five years’ imprisonment.
Alfonzo Brown, 34, was found guilty of fraud and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act in the Gqeberha commercial crimes court.
It was found that he had devised a scheme to enrich himself and his co-accused, Rodney Oliver, who has since died, through false presences and the misappropriation of funds.
The two had worked for CHEP SA (Pty) Ltd.
The court found that Brown and Oliver had submitted false information to clients, claiming that they could sell “repaired pallets” to replace outstanding pallets on their accounts.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said the men then misappropriated the funds from clients who had paid for these non-existent repaired pallets and manipulated the company’s computer system to reflect false returns of pallets.
He said the scheme resulted in a total loss of almost R1m to CHEP SA.
Arguing in aggravation of sentence, state advocate Wilhelm de Villiers highlighted the seriousness of Brown’s offences and the need to hold individuals accountable for their actions.
Magistrate Nolitha Bara agreed with the prosecution, stating that Brown’s actions demonstrated a blatant disregard for the law.
He was accordingly sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment, with two years suspended for five years, meaning he will spend an effective five years behind bars.
Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions advocate Barry Madolo applauded the prosecution, the police, and CHEP SA’s internal investigation team for their meticulous and tireless efforts in bringing the case to court.
“This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of exploiting employers and the importance of honesty and compliance,” he said.
“Serious commercial crimes threaten the economic stability of the country, hence the NPA will channel all its resources to ensure we adopt an aggressive stance in prosecuting them.”
HeraldLIVE
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