Two former ABSA Bank employees who stole more than R1 million from their employer were each handed a prison sentence of 6 years in the Gqberha Commercial Crimes Court on Friday.
Florika Owusu, 31, and Abongile Tyusha, 38, were found guilty of more than 200 charges which include fraud, theft, and money laundering.
The pair opened unauthorised bank accounts and issued debit cards to these accounts, managing numerous cards between them as part of the scheme.
They also re-activated 18 dormant accounts, some of which had belonged to deceased people.
According to the charge sheet, they moved the money from the 18 accounts to the five other accounts opened in Dutywa, Patensie, and Jeffreys Bay.
In handing down the sentence, Magistrate Vuziwe Mnyani said the women acted with a common purpose and abused their positions of trust as bank employees.
Mnyani noted that the so-called white-collar crimes were prevalent across the country and that it contributed to the rise of unemployment in SA.
According to Mnyani, the perception that banks could somehow "afford" to take such losses should be discouraged.
"You both embarked on this criminal path for personal gain. That amounts to nothing but greed."
Mnyani said a lot of attention was given to what impact a custodial would have on the women's minor children.
She said it would undoubtedly affect the children negatively, but the court heard evidence that the children would be taken care of.
Owusu's husband will look after their three children, the youngest of which is 9 months old, while Tyusha's mother will take care of her 5-year-old son.
"The nature and the seriousness of the offenses do not warrant a sentence of correctional supervision."
Mnyani said simply giving an accused person a sentence of correctional supervision because they have young children would not serve as a deterrent for other would-be offenders.
The full sentence:
Mnyani ordered that all the sentences should run concurrently, which means that both accused will serve an effective six years in prison.
Owusu is from Hankey and Tyushu is from Butterworth.
