A former manager who claimed he turned to fraud because he was overlooked for a promotion will now spend the next four years behind bars. Jans Daniel Naude, 44, was sentenced to an effective four years’ imprisonment by the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court for defrauding his employer, food manufacturer Fanatics Trading, of more than R2 million.
Naude, who worked as the technical and production manufacturing facilities manager from 2014 until his dismissal last year, pleaded guilty to 23 counts of fraud. His scheme was both simple and brazen: between 2016 and 2022, he created fake invoices from a legitimate supplier, Federated Meats, and replaced the company’s banking details with his own First National Bank account number. The payments, meant for bulk chicken stock, flowed directly into his pocket.
A Fraud Unraveled
The elaborate scam eventually unraveled when senior management noticed irregular and excessive stock purchases. An independent audit revealed the fraud, leading to a criminal case. Naude was later summoned to court.
In his defence, Naude admitted to the crimes but offered a justification: he felt “aggrieved at being overlooked for a promotion.” Through his lawyer, he pleaded for a non-custodial sentence, citing his status as a first-time offender and the primary caregiver for his two minor children.
The State’s Rebuttal: A Breach of Trust with Severe Consequences
State Advocate Lerato Phoebe Labuschagne strongly opposed any leniency. She argued that Naude’s actions represented a gross breach of trust that crippled the company financially. The impact was severe enough that Fanatics Trading was forced to borrow money just to pay its employees’ salaries.
Labuschagne urged the court to send a strong deterrent message, emphasizing the need for a sentence that reflected the seriousness of the crime.
The Court’s Verdict: No Genuine Remorse
Magistrate Ignatius de Preez was unconvinced by Naude’s remorse. The court found that he had pleaded guilty primarily because the State’s case was overwhelming, not out of genuine regret. Notably, Naude failed to disclose what he had done with the stolen R2 million.
The magistrate sentenced Naude to seven years’ imprisonment, suspending three years for five years on condition he is not convicted of fraud or theft again. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.
The sentence underscores a clear judicial principle: personal grievance is no defence for criminal breach of trust. For Naude, the promotion he felt he deserved has been replaced by a prison cell, a stark consequence for a scheme that ultimately cost him far more than a job title.
