A former employee of the Manufacturing, Engineering and Related Services Sector Education and Training Authority (Merseta) and his accomplice have each been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment after being found guilty of fraud by the Specialised Commercial Court, in Johannesburg.

Former Merseta employee Victor Kwenda and former bank employee Brenton Tshepo Diutlwileng received the stiff sentences after they were convicted of defrauding Merseta of R6.2-million.

Kwenda, who was employed by the authority at the time of the crimes, was found to have uploaded fraudulent changes in the bank details of 26 companies on the Merseta’s database. 

The R6.2-million owing to the companies was then diverted to a company owned by Diutlwileng, who had provided the fraudulent bank letters containing company changes of details to Kwenda.

In addition to their prison sentence, the court ordered that the two be barred from obtaining firearm licences upon their release.

Responding to the convictions and sentences, Merseta CEO Dr Raymond Patel said the organisation had moved swiftly against its former employee as soon as it became aware of the fraud.

“We do not bask in the misfortune of others, but, in this case, justice has been done. Kwenda used an elaborate scheme to defraud 26 companies of their due grants. Thousands of people could have been trained using that money. I trust this sends a message to all that the Merseta will not tolerate corruption in any form,” he cautioned.