Ex-VW South Africa Employee Sentenced To Five Years For Fraud

Christo de Jager, a 61-year-old former employee of Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA), has been sentenced to five years in prison for fraud.

The Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court handed down the sentence on Wednesday. De Jager, who had served as a fleet administrator in Kariega, was found guilty of orchestrating a fraud scheme that siphoned over R12 million from the company.

De Jager’s fraudulent activities spanned from November 2014 to April 2021. He collaborated with Auto Trust Body Repairs to issue 594 false invoices, purportedly for repair work on VWSA fleet vehicles.

Many of these vehicles either did not require repairs, were repaired by another service provider, had not sustained any recorded damage, or were not owned by VWSA.

The fraudulent invoices led to payments totalling over R12 million being made to Auto Trust’s account. De Jager received illicit payments in amounts of R5,000, R10,000, and R20,000 for his role in facilitating the fraud.

During the trial, De Jager pleaded guilty to all charges. The court sentenced him to five years for fraud and an additional ten years for corruption, with the latter wholly suspended for five years.

Regional Magistrate Lionel Lindoor emphasized the significant financial harm caused to VWSA and the importance of upholding the principle of equality before the law. He stated, “Our justice system must remain vigilant in upholding the principle of equality before the law, ensuring that all individuals, regardless of socio-economic status, receive a fair and impartial trial.”

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The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Luxolo Tyali highlighted the judgment as a stern warning against corruption and fraudulent practices within corporate environments.

Tyali stressed the importance of ethical conduct and transparency, noting that serious commercial crimes threaten the economic stability of the country. “The NPA will channel all its resources to ensure that we adopt an aggressive stance in prosecuting them,” Tyali said.