A Cape Town computer consultant has been sentenced to two years in prison for stealing R13 000 from his employer. The Cape Town magistrates` court found 23-year-old Antonio Maritz of Parow guilty on four counts of theft committed in January 2000.
According to the court, he stole the money from the Bothaswig branch of Bill Rawson Properties while contracted there as a "computer expert".
Magistrate Joe Magele said Maritz abused his computer skills that he had gained from having qualified as a Microsoft engineer and that he should have used them to uplift others rather than to steal.
According to Maritz`s defence attorney, Lichakane Phori, the thefts happened after Maritz found the e-mail details of Rawson agent Anthony Clarke, which gave him access to the Rawson account at Absa. He moved R13 000 from the account.
The defence told the court that Maritz was receiving chemotherapy for cancer at the time of the thefts.
In his judgement, Magele said white-collar crime was increasing at an alarming pace, due largely to a perception that the courts were more lenient with white-collar offenders than with common criminals "who stole from cars", for example.
Two months ago, 10 Absa online accounts were compromised via key-logging software and R500 000 was stolen. That case, involving a Bellville man, is still ongoing at the Bellville magistrates` court.
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