SPCA MIDRAND – CONVICTION IN FRAUD CASE Nazalie Russell, the former bookkeeper and Committee member at the Midrand SPCA, was found guilty of fraud on 07 November 2014 in the Tembisa Regional Court. Over the period that Ms Russell was involved with the Midrand SPCA, she manipulated payments which resulted in approximately 45 transactions being paid from the Midrand SPCA bank account into her personal account. This totalled R271 799.26, as confirmed by a forensic audit. She was sentenced to 5 years imprisonment, wholly suspended for 5 years, on condition that the full amount which had been fraudulently taken must be paid directly into the bank account of the Midrand SPCA within 30 days from the date of judgement. The full amount was paid into the account of the Midrand SPCA on 07 November. The National Council of SPCAs commends the Midrand SPCA for taking decisive action and for being steadfast in their pursuit of the issue. The SPCA movement believes in transparency and is not afraid to bring matters into the open as public money is involved and we are accountable. If anything is untoward, it is the duty of the Management Committee to investigate and take any action that may be required. Nazalie Russell joined the management committee of the Midrand SPCA in 2009 and was responsible for the bookkeeping of the SPCA from 2010. Upon detection of alleged fraud, she was suspended, charges were laid, she was arrested then released on bail. Twice, offers from Ms Russell’s attorneys to settle out of Court were rejected at the insistence of the National Council of SPCAs. This led to meetings with the Senior Public Prosecutor who was made aware of the severity of the case which was then referred to the Regional Court. Justice needed to prevail and a precedent to be set relating to individuals who steal from charitable organisations. Appreciation is expressed to the pro bono legal team and to the strong prosecution who handled the case with dedication.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 16:39:40 +0000
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