VWSA FLEET ADMINISTRATOR SENTENCED FOR FRAUD AND CORRUPTION
The Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced Christo de Jager (61) to 15 years imprisonment for fraud and corruption. The court sentenced him to five years for fraud and 10 years for corruption, with the latter wholly suspended for five years. De Jager, a former Fleet Administrator at Volkswagen South Africa (Pty) Limited (VWSA), was sentenced for his role in a fraud scheme that siphoned over R12 million from the company. He was the facilitator of the fraud and used his position to approve and refer fraudulent invoices for payment, abusing the trust placed in him as a senior employee responsible for managing VWSA’s fleet of vehicles.
VWSA is based in Kariega (previously Uitenhage), where De Jager was employed. The court found that he collaborated with Auto Trust Body Repairs, in a series of fraudulent activities over the period spanning from November 2014 to April 2021. These invoices purportedly detailed repair work on VWSA fleet vehicles, despite many vehicles either not requiring repairs, being repaired by another service provider, having not sustained any recorded damage, or related to vehicles which were not owned by VWSA.
Auto Trust, in collusion with De Jager, issued 594 false invoices totalling over R12 million. These invoices were paid into Auto Trust’s account based on misrepresented claims of repair work. He received illicit payments as gratifications in trenches of R5 000, R10 000 and R20 000. Internal and police investigations played a crucial role in uncovering the fraud. Advocate Siphamandla Ngxokolo’s diligent work was instrumental in the prosecution-guided investigations.
During the trial, De Jager pleaded guilty to all charges. The court acknowledged the substantial financial harm caused to VWSA due to his fraudulent actions. “As emphasised in State v Brown, it is crucial that we guard against the danger of creating two streams of justice – one for the rich and another for the poor. This would perpetuate a miscarriage of justice, where those with means are treated more favourably than those without. Our justice system must remain vigilant in upholding the principle of equality before the law, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of socio-economic status, receive a fair and impartial trial,” said Regional Magistrate Lindoor as he handed down the sentence.
The judgment serves as a stern warning against corruption and fraudulent practices within corporate environments, emphasising the importance of ethical conduct and transparency. Serious commercial crimes threaten the economic stability of the country hence the NPA will channel all its resources to ensure that we adopt an aggressive stance in prosecuting them.
