Moorosi Tsiane
FUEL company, Main North 1 (PTY) LTD, has dragged its two former employees to court, demanding more than M12 million the duo allegedly stole from the company’s Mookoli Engen Garage between March 2017 and November 2022.
The two, ‘Machela Leoma and Lerato Libe, allegedly stole an exact total of M12 241 380.90 from Main North 1 while still working for the company at its Mookoli pump station.
Ms Leoma and Mr Libe are cited as first and second defendants respectively in Main North 1’s civil claim filed in the High Court last week.
According to the suit, a forensic audit conducted by the company revealed discrepancies of monies from sales from the Mookoli filling station which were not deposited into Main North 1’s bank account by the duo as they were mandated to do. The missing M12 241 380.90, was never recovered by the company, resulting in the lawsuit.
“On or about the 24 May 2023, the plaintiff’s expert produced and submitted a forensic audit report which reveals that the aforesaid amount was not deposited or prepared to be deposited into the Company’s bank account by the defendants as they had a duty to do,” claims Main North 1.
Main North 1 also alleges that Ms Leoma and Mr Libe had confessed to swindling money from the filling station.
“On or about 22 December 2022 second defendant, Libe made a statement disclosing how the plaintiff’s money was stolen during his scope of his duties and responsibilities.
“On or about 4 January 2023, first defendant disclosed that she had been taking the money bit by bit since 2019 to 2022 to buy a Honda Fit (vehicle), food, alcohol, clothes and building materials. She estimated the money (she stole) to be M1 200 000.”
Main North 1 (PTY) LTD therefore wants the High Court to order Ms Leoma and Mr Libe to pay back the M12 241 380.90 they allegedly stole from the company. The filling station also want interest at the rate of 18.8 percent from the date on which the court orders the repayment of the funds.
