Husband, wife admit to fraud

TWO people accused of defrauding the KZN Blind and Deaf Society have pleaded guilty.

Last Wednesday, Ruvanya Ramiah, 31, and Ayush Rambally, 32, who are married, appeared in the Durban Specialised Commercial Crimes Court.

Ramiah pleaded guilty to 354 counts of fraud amounting to more than R12 million, while Rambally pleaded guilty to 79 counts of theft, amounting to about R1.7m.

The couple was arrested in Estcourt in April for defrauding the society between 2012 and 2019, when Ramiah worked there.

In her plea statement, Ramiah said she unlawfully and intentionally made unauthorised payments from the society’s bank accounts to her personal bank account, Rambally’s bank account as well as an investment account.

She deposited more than R9.6m into the first account, R1.1m into the second account, and R1.3m into the investment account.

Ramiah admitted to defrauding the society of a total of R12069568.58.

She said she was employed as the society’s financial officer from March 2012 to February 2019.

Her duties entailed salary payments, general payments, financial reporting and general administration.

Ramiah said she had online access to and control of the society’s bank accounts, and uploaded the payments onto the banking system.

“I made unlawful payments from these bank accounts. The total amount was R12 674 435.50. I was, however, entitled to a gross salary in the sum of R604866.92 during this period.”

Ramiah also admitted to manipulating the society’s salaries by paying

herself inflated salaries.

“I paid myself, via salaries, twice or more in the same month, and placed ghost employees on the payroll and credited my account and the accounts of accused 2 (Rambally) and SR Investments with the proceeds,” she testified.

“I created false payments to suppliers, which I concealed in different general ledger accounts. Where fabricated payments were made to suppliers, I concealed the fraud by claiming the VAT portion of the payment.”

She further admitted to misrepresenting transfers to the society’s Investec account, instead making payments to unauthorised accounts.

“I fabricated evidence to support the false Investec balance.”

Rambally, who was not employed by the society, admitted that the stolen monies were transferred to his personal bank account and to an entity of which he was a director, and Ramiah the codirector.

“I plead guilty freely and voluntarily, without having been unduly influenced to do so,“he said.

Rambally admitted to unlawfully and intentionally stealing R1.7m as part of monies paid from the society’s

banking accounts.

He also admitted to being aware that he was not entitled to the money that was paid into the accounts he controlled.

“Nonetheless I appropriated the money with the intention of using it for myself and accused 1’s own purposes. I admit that my actions were wrongful and that I had no right whatsoever to the benefit of these payments, as the money was the property of, or in the lawful possession of the society. In intentionally retaining the funds and assuming control over them, I was fully aware that I was acting unlawfully.”

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in KwaZulu-Natal, said once their pleas were submitted to court, the accused were remanded in custody until August 4.

“This will be for pre-sentencing and correctional supervision reports. The pair will remain in custody, as they were previously denied bail.”

Following the plea, Yegeshne Naidu, the society’s spokesperson, said: “We have faith in the justice system. The truth has prevailed.

“We have no further comments at this stage.”