FORMER WITS EMPLOYEE SENTENCED TO 15 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR FRAUD
The Johannesburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced former University of Witwatersrand (Wits) employee Lebogang John Dikobe (38), to 15 years imprisonment for 30 counts of fraud with a combined total value of over R3 million.
Dikobe was employed as a bookkeeper in one of the Wits’ libraries from 2008 until 2014 and his duties included a reconciliation of all library accounts and projects, value-added tax (VAT) account entries and claims, organising and scheduling work to ensure the smooth running of the Library Finance Office, and filing.
He started his fraudulent acts after registering a company in 2010, called Savinet Information Communication and Technology on the WITS procurement database without declaring he was a Wits employee. He thereafter submitted fraudulent invoices to claim compensation for services that Savinet never rendered. He further faked the signatures of the personnel that approve payments of suppliers. Dikobe continued with his fraudulent activities until 2014 when one of the procurement officers ran into an invoice paid to Savinet that confused her because Wits dealt with the service provider Sabinet, not Savinet. The institution conducted investigations which led to the resignation of Dikobe.
Senior State Adv. Neville Mogagabe argued that the crimes committed by Dikobe impacted Wits negatively as a credible institution, as well as on the libraries and students. He further stated that these offences committed by Dikobe were premeditated and meticulously executed, thus depriving the employer of the trust and loyalty they were entitled to.
The NPA lauds the efforts of Adv Mogagabe and investigating officer, Colonel Samuel Komane in ensuring that Dikobe is sent to prison for abusing the institution’s trust in him as their employee.
