THE Bloemfontein asset forfeiture unit has obtained a confiscation order to sell the house of a bank teller convicted of theft, the National Prosecuting Authority said

Free State NPA spokesperson Medupe Simasiku said the asset forfeiture unit applied for the order after Ellaine Pienaar's recent theft conviction in the Welkom regional court.

Pienaar, who worked for Standard Bank in Winburg, admitted stealing R200,000 between January 2001 and May 2009 when she was arrested.

Simasiku said Pienaar was responsible for the day-to-day running of the branch and handled all the assets and cash received. She also had access to clients' accounts.

It was found that she took money, meant for investments, from the bank's clients for her personal use.

Simasiku said that in the confiscation application the asset forfeiture unit told the court that Pienaar had a house in Winburg and pension benefits that were sufficient to cover the damages suffered by the bank.

Earlier, Pienaar was sentenced to five years imprisonment, which was conditionally suspended for five years.