Petrol station manager arrested after almost R500,000 vanished from safe

THE FINANCE manager at an Engen filling station in Limpopo, Martinis Wessel Pretorius, 43, appeared before the Polokwane Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for allegedly stealing R469,000.

Hawks provincial spokesperson in Limpopo, Captain Matimba Maluleke said the theft was picked up during an audit of the Elim Engen filling station.

“Between November 2021 and January 2022, the shop was audited and it was discovered that R469,000 was stolen from the safe. A case of theft was registered and transferred to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit for further probe,” Maluleke said.

“While the Hawks were busy with the investigation, it was established that the accused (Pretorius) was the only person who was in possession of the safe key during the period in which the money went missing.

“The accused was absent from work without leave after the audit report was issued and he was successfully traced and arrested.”

Pretorius was granted R2,000 bail and his case was postponed to November 15.

Earlier this month, 65-year-old Jocoba Johanna Kitshoff, an administration official at the Groblersdal Academy, appeared before the Groblersdal Magistrate’s Court after she was arrested on charges of fraud.

Maluleke said Kitshoff was nabbed by the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team for allegedly stealing R3.6 million from her employer.

“It is alleged that in August 2021, the accused accessed the school’s bank account after school hours and transferred R3.6m into her personal bank account without being authorised,” said Maluleke.

“The school discovered the alleged embezzlement of funds and reported the matter to the Hawks. During the investigation it was discovered that the accused has actually lost all that money through an investment scam,” he said.

Kitshoff was granted R6,000 bail and her case was postponed to November 18.