A former bookkeeper, Johannes Gieselbach who stole more than R1.2m from the Aurora Special Care Centre in Port Elizabeth has been sentenced to eight years imprisonment on Wednesday.
The 44-year-old man was also ordered to repay the outstanding amount owed to Aurora — a total of R986,000 — in terms of a Section 300 order. He has been unable to pay this back and it means that his paycheck will be docked in the future.
The Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court magistrate, Lionel Lindoor described his actions as “horrible, reprehensible and appalling”.
He said Gieselbach stole from the most vulnerable members of the community. Aurora helps cater to special needs children and adults most especially those who are so physically disabled that they cannot talk or eat unaided.
The Fairview resident pleaded guilty to the thefts and explained to the court how he had substituted the banking details of Aurora’s creditors and suppliers with his own and this made him able to siphon tens of thousands of rand each month between January 2016 and June 2019.
He has since paid back only R225,000.
Once released from prison, he is expected to repay Aurora on a monthly basis as soon as he gets employed anywhere.
