Management Theft
A clients Head Office in
Johannesburg was contacted by an informer who advised and provided information
that she suspected that the Manager of the clients Durban Branch was operating
his own similar business in the Durban area and was stealing products from the
client which were being utilized and sold at the Managers business and was also
in possession of the clients intellectual property.
After consultation and briefing the client it was decided to have the matter thoroughly investigated. A plan of action was then devised.
The informer was interviewed and information was obtained from the informer.
Intelligence was gathered about the Managers business and a surveillance operation was conducted on the premises where the business was suspected to be operating from. Information gleamed from the surveillance identified that a business similar to the clients was being operated at the premises and further identified the Manager to be visiting the business on a regular basis.
An agent was thereafter used to visit the business being operated by the Manager and pose as a potential customer. The agent successfully gained entry into the client’s business premises posing as a customer and gathered information about the business operations from the person managing the business at the time. Arrangements were made by the agent to visit the business again. After visiting the business again, the agent with the use of covert cameras was able to obtain footage of products inside the premises that were products manufactured and sold by the client.
A criminal case was register with the South African Police and after consultation with the investigating Officer it was decided to arrange for the Managers business premises to be searched.
Members of the South African Police as well as investigators from BDI Investigations and Management from the clients Johannesburg branch proceeded to the business being run by the clients Branch Manager. Other members of the South African Police at the same time proceeded to the client’s branch in Durban and conducted an interview with the clients Branch Manager.
The members of the South African Police identified themselves to the person who was in charge of the business on that day and advised their reasons for wanting to gain entry into the premises. The person in charge authorized the members of the South African Police, BDI Investigators and the client’s management staff to enter the premises.
A search was conducted by the members of the South African Police and products as well as intellectual property belonging to the client were found at the premises. Also during the search a computer and computer accessories as well as a large LCD television were also found inside the premises. These items had the client’s unique serial number on them.
After interviewing the person in charge of the premises he confirmed that the business was being operated by the clients Branch Manager and confirmed that all the products as well as the television and computer accessories were taken to the business premises by the clients Branch Manager. He further pointed out more products in the boot of his car that the clients Branch Manager had asked him to keep in the boot.
The products were seized by the members of the South African Police. BDI Investigators along with the clients Management staff and members of the South African Police thereafter proceeded to the client’s business premises in Durban where they met up with other members of the South African Police as well as the clients Branch Manager.
Investigations were conducted at the client’s business premises in Durban and the clients Branch Manager proceeded to admit that he had taken the clients products to a business premise that he was running but that he had just borrowed them as samples. He further advised that the seized television was his own and that the seized computer was an old computer belonging to the client that had been broken and which he had fixed and was just borrowing.
Other staff members from the clients Durban Branch were interviewed as well. The clients Branch Manager and all staff members were thereafter removed from the client’s branch in Durban and taken to the Police Station for further investigation.
Prior to leaving the clients business premises in Durban, management placed a Johannesburg staff member at the Durban Branch and whilst a hand over was being conducted it was established that a large sum of cash money from cash payments received during the week was missing. Staff members advised that they had given all the weeks received cash to the Branch Manager for him to do banking. The Branch Manager was questioned about the missing cash and advised that he had not yet banked the money and that he had kept it safe at his residence. The Branch Manager was instructed to accompany BDI Investigators and members of the South African Police to his residence to fetch the cash. It was then established that the Branch Manager had in fact used the cash for his own benefit.
During follow up investigations at the Police Station one of the clients staff members from the Durban Branch observed the seized items and advised that a housebreaking had occurred at the clients Durban Branch approximately two years previously and that during the housebreaking two flat screen televisions and three computers were amongst items stolen during the housebreaking and that she suspected that the seized television and computer equipment were the same items that had been stolen during the housebreaking. She advised that she had been the complainant in the case.
Serial numbers checks established that the computer equipment and television matched the items as having been stolen during the housebreaking. The case number was obtained and the criminal docket was obtained. The seized television and computer equipment were noted in the docket has some of the items having been stolen during the housebreaking.
The Branch Manager was detained at charged for theft and Housebreaking. The Branch Manager was further placed on suspension pending an internal enquiry.
During the Branch Managers suspension investigations conducted by investigators from BDI Investigators revealed that that the Branch Manager had been providing services and products to persons for which he had received cash payments and issued fraudulent receipts. These persons were located by BDI Investigators from whom witness statements and documentary evidence was obtained. Fraud charges were added to the charges against the Branch Manager.
Further investigations conducted by BDI Investigators identified that another staff member had been aware that the Branch Manager had been running an opposition business but had failed to declare this. Evidence also identified that the person who had been in charge of the Branch managers business on the day it was searched was in fact a cousin of the identified staff member. No evidence could however be proved that this staff member was involved in the theft of products.
Notice to attend disciplinary hearings were presented to both the suspended Branch Manger and the other staff member.
The Branch Manager failed to attend his disciplinary hearing and was dismissed. The other staff member attended her disciplinary hearing and was found guilty and dismissed
Due to efficient investigation by BDI Investigators the Branch Manager pleaded guilty at court on recommendation of his Attorney, was found guilty and received a prison sentence.
After consultation and briefing the client it was decided to have the matter thoroughly investigated. A plan of action was then devised.
The informer was interviewed and information was obtained from the informer.
Intelligence was gathered about the Managers business and a surveillance operation was conducted on the premises where the business was suspected to be operating from. Information gleamed from the surveillance identified that a business similar to the clients was being operated at the premises and further identified the Manager to be visiting the business on a regular basis.
An agent was thereafter used to visit the business being operated by the Manager and pose as a potential customer. The agent successfully gained entry into the client’s business premises posing as a customer and gathered information about the business operations from the person managing the business at the time. Arrangements were made by the agent to visit the business again. After visiting the business again, the agent with the use of covert cameras was able to obtain footage of products inside the premises that were products manufactured and sold by the client.
A criminal case was register with the South African Police and after consultation with the investigating Officer it was decided to arrange for the Managers business premises to be searched.
Members of the South African Police as well as investigators from BDI Investigations and Management from the clients Johannesburg branch proceeded to the business being run by the clients Branch Manager. Other members of the South African Police at the same time proceeded to the client’s branch in Durban and conducted an interview with the clients Branch Manager.
The members of the South African Police identified themselves to the person who was in charge of the business on that day and advised their reasons for wanting to gain entry into the premises. The person in charge authorized the members of the South African Police, BDI Investigators and the client’s management staff to enter the premises.
A search was conducted by the members of the South African Police and products as well as intellectual property belonging to the client were found at the premises. Also during the search a computer and computer accessories as well as a large LCD television were also found inside the premises. These items had the client’s unique serial number on them.
After interviewing the person in charge of the premises he confirmed that the business was being operated by the clients Branch Manager and confirmed that all the products as well as the television and computer accessories were taken to the business premises by the clients Branch Manager. He further pointed out more products in the boot of his car that the clients Branch Manager had asked him to keep in the boot.
The products were seized by the members of the South African Police. BDI Investigators along with the clients Management staff and members of the South African Police thereafter proceeded to the client’s business premises in Durban where they met up with other members of the South African Police as well as the clients Branch Manager.
Investigations were conducted at the client’s business premises in Durban and the clients Branch Manager proceeded to admit that he had taken the clients products to a business premise that he was running but that he had just borrowed them as samples. He further advised that the seized television was his own and that the seized computer was an old computer belonging to the client that had been broken and which he had fixed and was just borrowing.
Other staff members from the clients Durban Branch were interviewed as well. The clients Branch Manager and all staff members were thereafter removed from the client’s branch in Durban and taken to the Police Station for further investigation.
Prior to leaving the clients business premises in Durban, management placed a Johannesburg staff member at the Durban Branch and whilst a hand over was being conducted it was established that a large sum of cash money from cash payments received during the week was missing. Staff members advised that they had given all the weeks received cash to the Branch Manager for him to do banking. The Branch Manager was questioned about the missing cash and advised that he had not yet banked the money and that he had kept it safe at his residence. The Branch Manager was instructed to accompany BDI Investigators and members of the South African Police to his residence to fetch the cash. It was then established that the Branch Manager had in fact used the cash for his own benefit.
During follow up investigations at the Police Station one of the clients staff members from the Durban Branch observed the seized items and advised that a housebreaking had occurred at the clients Durban Branch approximately two years previously and that during the housebreaking two flat screen televisions and three computers were amongst items stolen during the housebreaking and that she suspected that the seized television and computer equipment were the same items that had been stolen during the housebreaking. She advised that she had been the complainant in the case.
Serial numbers checks established that the computer equipment and television matched the items as having been stolen during the housebreaking. The case number was obtained and the criminal docket was obtained. The seized television and computer equipment were noted in the docket has some of the items having been stolen during the housebreaking.
The Branch Manager was detained at charged for theft and Housebreaking. The Branch Manager was further placed on suspension pending an internal enquiry.
During the Branch Managers suspension investigations conducted by investigators from BDI Investigators revealed that that the Branch Manager had been providing services and products to persons for which he had received cash payments and issued fraudulent receipts. These persons were located by BDI Investigators from whom witness statements and documentary evidence was obtained. Fraud charges were added to the charges against the Branch Manager.
Further investigations conducted by BDI Investigators identified that another staff member had been aware that the Branch Manager had been running an opposition business but had failed to declare this. Evidence also identified that the person who had been in charge of the Branch managers business on the day it was searched was in fact a cousin of the identified staff member. No evidence could however be proved that this staff member was involved in the theft of products.
Notice to attend disciplinary hearings were presented to both the suspended Branch Manger and the other staff member.
The Branch Manager failed to attend his disciplinary hearing and was dismissed. The other staff member attended her disciplinary hearing and was found guilty and dismissed
Due to efficient investigation by BDI Investigators the Branch Manager pleaded guilty at court on recommendation of his Attorney, was found guilty and received a prison sentence.