Jacolene Hendricks (45) was sentenced by the Kroonstad Magistrate’s Court on 12 March 2026 after she was found guilty on 75 counts of fraud.
The conviction emanates from an internal investigation conducted into the financial affairs of the Hansie Muller Besigheidstrust in Viljoenskroon, after some business clients indicated that they had been instructed by the accused to deposit payments for goods purchased into a different bank account.
A case docket was registered and later handed over to the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit in Welkom for further investigation, which revealed that the accused instructed creditors to deposit money owed to the business into her personal bank account. She further inflated prices and, after receiving payments, kept the surplus amount while transferring the remainder into the business account. As a result, the complainant suffered actual prejudice amounting to approximately R800 000.
On 08 August 2024, Hendricks was served with a summons to appear before the Kroonstad Magistrate’s Court on 29 August 2025.
On 12 March 2026, the court found Hendricks guilty on 75 counts of fraud and sentenced her to eight years imprisonment in terms of Section 276(1)(b) of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977, wholly suspended for five (5) years on condition that she is not found guilty of fraud, forgery, uttering, theft, or the attempted commission of these offences during the period of suspension.
The court further ordered that she repay R10 000 per month for 60 consecutive months until the amount of R600 000 is paid in full into the complainant’s account.
