Fifth conviction in Steinhoff saga as former auditor sentenced

The state has secured its fifth conviction in the multi-million rand Steinhoff saga after the former auditor was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment or a R2-million fine. The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crime Court sentenced Hein Odendaal, 68, the formerSteinhoffaudit executive, after he pleaded guilty on Thursday. The court sentenced Odendaal, from Gauteng, to a fine of R2 million or, alternatively, to four years’ imprisonment.

The ex-auditor was also sentenced to an additional two years’ imprisonment. This sentence is wholly suspended for a period of five years on the following condition: that the accused is not convicted of contravention of section 34 (1) of the Prevention and Combating of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCA) committed within the period of suspension. The accused must also subject himself to a one-year correctional supervision in terms of section 276(1)(h) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 51 of 1977, in terms of section 34(1) read with sections 34(1)(b), 34(2), 34(4)(e) and 26 of the PRECCA, Act 12 of 2004.

The sentence follows Odendaal’s plea and sentence agreement with the state. According to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) spokesperson, Katlego Mogale, Odendaal, in his position at the company, failed to report the fraud committed through fictitious income. His actions led to false and misleading audited financial statements for the police. The company’s unscrupulous activities were uncovered in 2017 when auditors refused to sign off on the 2016 annual financial statements.