Finance and Administration Manager Sentenced for Theft Worth R16m, Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION MANAGER SENTENCED FOR THEFT WORTH R16 MILLION

The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sentenced a former Finance and Administration Manager of AgriCAD, Lizette Marielle Steyn (56)  to 12 years of direct imprisonment for 85 counts of theft. Steyn was employed by AgriCAD, a company that manufactures agricultural implements from 12 February 2019 as a Finance and Administration Manager. Her responsibilities amongst others were to load the creditors for payment on the business bank account monthly and do the day-to-day bookkeeping and accounting. As such Steyn had full access to the AgriCAD ABSA bank accounts. During her employment, Steyn would change the details of one of the AgriCAD ABSA bank accounts and replace it with her 6 different personal Capitec accounts. From 27 October 2020 until 09 May 2023, 85 different payments of over R16 million for the company were paid into her personal bank accounts. With the funds, Steyn installed solar panels in her house and bought luxury items, a caravan, and a vehicle for her son-in-law. She also paid for her daughter’s wedding, and her family’s weekends away and holidays.

Steyn was arrested on 18 July 2023 and has been in custody since. In court she pleaded guilty to the charges and said she stole the money to pay debts because her husband lost his job, therefore she asked the court to consider her ill health and that she is a first-time offender when imposing a sentence. However, the prosecutor, advocate Rachelle van der Walt argued that as much as Steyn was a first-time offender, her offences were committed over 3 years. Furthermore, Steyn was in a position of trust, her employer trusted her, but she betrayed that trust and was not hesitant to hide her dishonest conduct. She opened Capitec accounts in her name which she used to receive the stolen money for luxurious items and extravagant lifestyles. Therefore, Adv van der Walt asked the court to consider long-term imprisonment when imposing the sentence.  

In delivering the sentence, the Magistrate, Ignatius du Preez said Steyn pleaded guilty because she had no other option. “Her change of heart and acknowledgement of her criminal conduct originated from being caught and not from her true inner feelings of regret. Therefore, she had no choice but to concede defeat. Steyn committed the offence when she was at an age where it was expected of her to be able to distinguish between right from wrong, but she failed dismally. Furthermore, courts are increasingly faced with the situation where offenders with medical challenges commit serious offences, as such illness cannot be used as a license to commit crime”.   

The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the sentence.

Kind regards. 

Lumka Mahanjana:
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Gauteng Division: Pretoria
073 002 0000
lmahanjana@npa.gov.za