On Tuesday, October 15, 2024, the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court handed down a sentence to Rakesh Maharaj (46), convicting him on 103 charges of fraud, 102 instances of corruption, and one charge of money laundering under the South African Police Service jurisdiction.
Between January 2015 and September 2017, Maharaj worked at Consulens Health Care Solution PTY as a Logistics Manager. It came to light that he collaborated with others to alter inventory records within the firm’s systems. The alleged scheme involved generating false demands for particular items so they could buy additional supplies.
During this time, they generated fake invoices and shipping documents totaling R24 million, which was then disbursed to the vendors. The incident involving allegations of fraud, bribery, and financial deceit was documented at the Cato Manor police station, with the investigation handed over to members of the Hawks unit specializing in serious corruption cases from Durban. These individuals were apprehended and faced charges as per legal procedures in November 2021.
Maharaj received a 10-year prison term for fraud, with two years deferred for three years; additionally, he got a 10-year sentence for corruption, again with two years suspended over three years. He was also handed down a five-year jail time for money laundering, entirely suspended for three years. These punishments will be served concurrently, so he will actually spend eight years in prison without suspension benefits.
His partners, Oleena Dauchand (51) and Debi George (61), will proceed with the trial on October 30, 2024.
The head of the KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Major General (Dr) Lesetja Senona, expressed approval over the sentencing and commended his team for their excellent efforts.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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