THREE former Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) employees have been arrested for allegedly receiving kickbacks worth more than R330000 from a supplier.
The three – two supervisors and an engineer – appeared in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court on Friday where they faced charges of fraud, theft and money laundering. The matter has been postponed to October 19.
Bernard le Roux, Petrus Fourie and Lodewikus Vermeulen allegedly colluded with supplier PK Welding and Robotics (PKWR) (Pty) Ltd to submit falsified invoices for payment between 2005 and 2009.
The state alleges that the three received kickbacks worth R332545 from PKWR managing director at the time, Pieter Kleyn, to secure business with VWSA. The car manufacturer lost R5687966 as a result.
According to documents, Kleyn approached Collin Tyrell of Metal Packaging Technologies to pay the three via his company.
The case is not connected to another in which two former VWSA employees – Andrew Stow and Lungile Pietersen – conspired with service providers to defraud the company of more than R23-million. This case has dragged on for years and resumes next year.
