Sometimes the wheels of justice grind at a slow pace, but the long arm of the law eventually caught up with a bank employee who stole from an elderly farmer.
It has taken more than seven years for the evasive Leonie Stella Stiemie, 53, to be found guilty by the Gqeberha Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on two counts of theft for stealing from an elderly farmer.
Stiemie, a former branch administrator at FNB Kirkwood, was convicted for unlawfully stealing R400,000 from a client’s FNB Deeds Box and R420,000 from the client’s bank account.
The client has since died during the course of the trial which was marred by delays.
The conviction stems from events between 2011 and February 2015, when the late Andries David Renken, an 87-year-old farmer from Kirkwood, was convinced by Stiemie to store R400,000 in a Deeds Box at FNB.
Renken had kept the cash, which was paid to him for his farming business operations, at home but found that as being unsafe.
Trusting Stiemie, who regularly assisted him at the bank, he agreed to store the funds in the FNB Deeds Box. Clients are procedurally given two keys, but Renken never received any keys nor was he asked to sign a custody agreement.
In August 2014, Renken enquired about the money, and Stiemie claimed she had invested half of it on his behalf. In February 2015, Renken visited the branch again, only to find that Stiemie was no longer employed there.
Upon hearing about his visit, Stiemie went to Renken’s home. Initially, she claimed that the money had been stolen during a robbery at the branch. However, it was later confirmed that no boxes had been stolen.
After admitting to taking the money, Stiemie offered to repay it in installments of R666 per month. Renken rejected her offer, citing the number "666" as the "devil's number." Stiemie only partially repaid Renken, returning R21,000.
Further investigation revealed that a deposit slip related to the theft had been forged, with a handwriting analyst for the state confirming that the signature was Stiemie’s, not Renken’s.
Luxolo Tyali, NPA Regional Spokesperson for the Eastern Cape Division, said during the trial Stiemie denied making arrangements to repay the elderly man, claiming that she had been under heavy medication when she visited the victim’s home.
Renken, as a single witness, played a key role in the conviction. His testimony, despite his advanced age, was admitted as truthful and the only probable version.
The trial was delayed for three years by the defence to procure a handwriting specialist to counter the state’s version. The prosecutor who initially handled the case also died in 2021. Renken, meanwhile, died before the judgment was delivered.
The case has been postponed to February 25 for sentencing proceedings. Stiemie was granted R1,000 bail pending the sentence.
She is required to report to the Kirkwood SAPS twice a week, surrender her travel documents to the National Prosecuting Authority, and is prevented from applying for any further travel documents.
The NPA, meanwhile, said it remains committed to holding individuals in positions of trust accountable for their actions and will ask the court to pass a fittingly punitive sentence.
Pretoria News