Ex‑bookkeeper gets 10 years behind bars for R4.7m theft in Eastern Cape
The woman devised and executed a sophisticated scheme in which company funds were unlawfully transferred to her account.
A 58-year-old former bookkeeper from Blom Vervoer, Michelle Van der Merwe, has been sentenced to ten years of direct imprisonment for stealing around R4.7 million from her previous employer. Michelle Van der Merwe was arrested by the KuGompo Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation team in December 2018. She was granted bail of R5,000 and later appeared in court on 29 September 2026.
Van der Merwe orchestrated a complex scheme between 2008 and 2015 where she unlawfully moved company funds from Blom Vervoer's accounts into her personal bank account. The Hawks spokesperson, Warrant Officer Ndiphiwe Mhlakuvana, explained that she tricked clients into sending payments to her personal bank account by misleading them about the company's banking issues.
As the bookkeeper, Van der Merwe had significant control over the company's finances, including unrestricted access to its banking facilities. An internal audit uncovered the financial irregularities, leading to her arrest. The investigation confirmed that Van der Merwe unlawfully acquired approximately R4.7 million, resulting in considerable financial harm to the business. She was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison without the possibility of a fine.
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