Former Finance Administrator Accused of R1.2 Million Fraud Granted Bail After Hawks Arrest
A former finance administrator has appeared before the Randburg Magistrate’s Court after allegedly orchestrating an elaborate fraud scheme that investigators say cost her employer more than R1.2 million over a period of more than two years.
Jessica Chetty, 40, was arrested by the Hawks at her home in Lenasia on Monday following an investigation into allegations of fraud and theft. She appeared in court on Tuesday and Wednesday, where she was granted R2,000 bail. The matter has been postponed to 28 July 2026.
According to investigators, the alleged fraud took place between March 2023 and August 2025 while Chetty was employed as a finance administrator.
Authorities claim she created 199 fraudulent invoices using various company names without any supporting documentation. The invoices were allegedly processed as legitimate business expenses despite having no valid records to support them.
Investigators further allege that payments were made to these purported companies using the employer’s credit card before the money was diverted into Chetty’s personal bank accounts.
The alleged scheme is said to have caused an actual financial loss of R1.2 million to the company.
The suspected irregularities were uncovered during an internal review conducted by the employer. Once the questionable transactions came to light, the company launched an internal investigation that ultimately resulted in Chetty’s dismissal.
The matter was subsequently reported to the Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation unit, which opened a criminal investigation. Detectives continued gathering evidence before arresting Chetty on 6 July 2026 at her residence in Lenasia.
Chetty made her first court appearance on Tuesday, when the case was briefly postponed until Wednesday.
During Wednesday’s proceedings, the Randburg Magistrate’s Court granted her bail of R2,000. She is expected to return to court on 28 July 2026, when the case will continue.
The Hawks’ investigation remains ongoing as authorities continue examining the circumstances surrounding the alleged fraud and theft. If proven in court, the case would represent one of the more significant alleged workplace fraud matters investigated in Gauteng this year.
As with all criminal proceedings, the allegations against Chetty remain before the court, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
