Former principal pleads guilty to defrauding Cape Town school

A former Cape Town school principal who defrauded his school has been spared from swapping his suits for orange prison overalls.

Clifford Chateau, former principal of Duneside Primary School, pleaded guilty to defrauding the school of R95,730.

The Bellville specialised commercial crime court handed Chateau, 65, a five-year jail sentence on Tuesday. The court suspended two years of the sentence and Chateau will serve three years under correctional supervision.

Hawks spokesperson W/O Zinzi Hani said Chateau’s crime dated to 2017.

“It is reported that the school, where Chateau was headmaster, wanted to do building work ... and the company CBS, belonging to the accused, submitted a quotation created by the headmaster,” said Hani.

“The headmaster submitted other false quotations to the school governing body [SGB].

“The SGB, on the accused’s recommendations, appointed CBS to do the work. The headmaster would submit invoices by CBS to the SGB for approval, thereafter cheques were issued to CBS.”

Hani said CBS would cash the cheques and make cash payments into Chateau’s bank account.

“From June 2017 to August 2017 the school paid CBS R95,730 and the headmaster received R36,400 in cash payments into his bank account,” said Hani.

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