PHOTO: SUPPLIED
A former banker in the Eastern Cape has been found guilty of stealing more than half a million Rand from a now-deceased elderly farmer.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said the long arm of the law had finally caught up with Leonie Stiemie, an ex-First National Bank (FNB) employee, who was found guilty on two counts of theft in a case that's been dragging on for more than seven years.
Stiemie (53), who was a branch administrator at the bank's branch in Nqweba, formerly Kirkwood, was on Tuesday convicted of unlawfully stealing R400,000 from a bank client's deeds box and another R420,000 from the client's bank account.
The 87-year-old farmer, Andries David Renken, has since passed on during the course of the protracted trial which was marred by delays.
NPA spokesperson Luxolo Tyali said Stiemie's conviction stemmed from events between 2011 and February 2015, when the late Renken was convinced by Stiemie to store R400,000 in a deeds box at FNB.
However, she never did.
Renken at the time said he had kept the cash, which was paid to him for his farming business operations, at home, but later found that as being unsafe.
Tyali said trusting Stiemie, who regularly assisted Renken at the bank, the farmer agreed to store the funds in a deeds box.
"Clients are procedurally given two keys, but Renken never received any keys nor was he asked to sign a custody agreement," Tyali explained in a statement.
He said in August 2014 when Renken enquired about the money, Stiemie claimed she had invested half of it on his [Renken's] behalf.
"In February 2015, Renken visited the branch again, only to find that Stiemie was no longer employed there.
"Upon hearing about his visit, Stiemie then went to Renken's home."
'CONVICTION'
Tyali said initially, she claimed that the money had been stolen during a robbery at the branch, but it was later confirmed that no boxes had been stolen.
He said after admitting to taking the money, Stiemie offered to repay it in instalments of R666 per month.
"Renken rejected her offer, citing the number "666" as the "devil's number".
Stiemie only partially repaid Renken, returning R21 000 - with further investigation revealing that a deposit slip related to the theft had been forged, with a handwriting analyst for the state confirming that the signature was Stiemie's, not Renken's.
"During the trial Stiemie denied making arrangements to repay the elderly man, claiming that she had been under heavy medication when she visited the victim's home."
The NPA said Renken, as a single witness, played a key role in the conviction: "His testimony, despite his advanced age, was admitted as truthful and the only probable version."
Tyali said the trial was delayed for three years of postponements by the defence to procure a handwriting specialist to counter the state's version.
The prosecutor who initially handled the case passed on in 2021.
"Sadly, Renken also passed away before the judgment was delivered," Tyali said.
The case was remanded to 11 February 2025, for sentencing proceedings.
Steimie was granted R1,000 bail pending the sentence and is required to report to the Kirkwood (Nqweba) SAPS twice a week, surrender her travel documents to the NPA, and is prevented from applying for any further travel documents.
The NPA urged the court to pass a fittingly punitive sentence.
