The Kroonstad Magistrate’s Court has sentenced 45-year-old Jacolene Hendricks to an effective eight years in prison for defrauding a business trust of approximately R800,000.
Hendricks was convicted on 75 counts of fraud on 12 March 2026 following an investigation by the Serious Commercial Crime Investigation Unit in Welkom.
The case came to light after an internal probe into the financial affairs of the Hansie Muller Besigheidstrust in Viljoenskroon. The investigation was launched when business clients reported that Hendricks had instructed them to deposit payments for goods into a bank account different from the trust’s official account.
The investigation revealed that Hendricks had directed creditors to settle money owed to the business into her personal bank account. Additionally, she inflated prices on transactions; after receiving payments, she would retain the surplus amount and only transfer the original owed amount into the business account. The fraudulent activities resulted in the complainant suffering an actual financial loss of approximately R800,000.
According to court records, Hendricks was served with a summons on 8 August 2024, to appear in court on 29 August 2025.
On 12 March 2026, the court found her guilty on all counts. She was sentenced to eight years of imprisonment under Section 276(1)(b) of the Criminal Procedure Act 51 of 1977. However, the entire prison sentence was suspended for five years on condition that she is not convicted of fraud, forgery, uttering, theft, or attempting to commit any of these offenses during the suspension period.
As part of the sentencing, the court also issued a restitution order. Hendricks is required to make monthly payments of R10,000 for 60 consecutive months, totaling R600,000, directly into the complainant’s bank account.