She was authorised to transact on these accounts but within the company’s banking systems. She submitted forms for the release of funds for payment to her FNB accounts which she claimed belonged to Mutual and Federal and Guardrisk Insurance.
The two companies were not entitled to any payment but were used by Moshabane to disguise the fraud and theft.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Despite pleading not guilty, Moshabane admitted to the court in her last appearance that the bank accounts to which she moved the money did not belong to insurance companies but were her personal accounts.
She further admitted that these accounts were not loaded on the MTN master vendor database.
Moshabane also admitted that the Absa and Standard bank accounts she allegedly stole the money from belong to MTN SA.
She also admitted that the bank statements printed from these bank accounts by the state are “true, genuine and correct”. She is yet to explain in court how the money got into her personal bank account.
The state has attached five houses and seven cars that she had bought with the alleged stolen money and her bank accounts were also frozen.
The case was postponed to next month.
MTN R53m fraud trial postponed
Image: Antonio Muchave
The case against the former MTN accountant accused of stealing millions of rands from the company has been postponed to next month due to the unavailability of her lawyer.
On Thursday, Ruth Moshabane briefly appeared in the Palm Ridge magistrate’s court in Ekurhuleni where her trial was set to begin with the state bringing its first witness. However, the trial could not begin as her lawyer Carel Van Heerden was ill.
“The state is ready to proceed with the matter but owing to the fact that Mr Van Heerden is not here, we can postpone the matter,” said prosecutor Bongani Chauke. “I received a call this morning that he has fallen ill.”
Moshabane, 48, is facing 90 counts of fraud totalling R53.7m. She fraudulently transferred money from MTN bank accounts into her personal account between July 2015 and April 2017. Standard Bank contacted MTN after noticing strange transactions made into Moshabane's personal account. She was arrested in 2017 and is out on bail.
According to the charge sheet, Moshabane worked as an accountant for MTN with access to 76 bank accounts belonging to the company.
How accountant 'stole' R53m in 90 illegal transactions
She was authorised to transact on these accounts but within the company’s banking systems. She submitted forms for the release of funds for payment to her FNB accounts which she claimed belonged to Mutual and Federal and Guardrisk Insurance.
The two companies were not entitled to any payment but were used by Moshabane to disguise the fraud and theft.
She has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Despite pleading not guilty, Moshabane admitted to the court in her last appearance that the bank accounts to which she moved the money did not belong to insurance companies but were her personal accounts.
She further admitted that these accounts were not loaded on the MTN master vendor database.
Moshabane also admitted that the Absa and Standard bank accounts she allegedly stole the money from belong to MTN SA.
She also admitted that the bank statements printed from these bank accounts by the state are “true, genuine and correct”. She is yet to explain in court how the money got into her personal bank account.
The state has attached five houses and seven cars that she had bought with the alleged stolen money and her bank accounts were also frozen.
The case was postponed to next month.
Accountant pleads not guilty to defrauding MTN of R53m
MTN wants former worker to repay stolen R53m
MTN 'fraud' accountant to remain behind bars
Bail application by MTN financial accountant accused of fraud postponed
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