Fraud was 'bank's fault'
A Standard Bank Gobabis employee, Mark Wayne van Wyk has placed the blame squarely on the bank's systems for his 288 counts of fraud and theft.
Weak security systems at Standard Bank tempted an employee to commit 288 counts of fraud and theft, causing a loss of N$1.6 million to the bank.
Self-confessed fraudster Mark Wayne van Wyk on Tuesday, after admitting guilt to the charges, blamed the systems at the bank in his plea explanation before Judge Naomi Shivute in the High Court in Windhoek.
Van Wyk, who was employed from 19 January 2013 to 31 August 2015 at the Gobabis branch of Standard Bank as an accounts support consultant and asset custodian, further in the plea explanation, read on his behalf by his lawyer Jan Wessels, emphasised that he was pleading guilty out of his of free will.
He admitted that he initiated the fraudulent scheme wherein he obtained bank accounts from some of his friends, relatives and acquaintances, and would fraudulently manipulate the bank's system to cause payments to be captured, deposited or transferred from the bank's internal revenue interest account into these accounts.
“These payments were going into my personal account and into the accounts of my friends, relatives and acquaintances who in all cases and circumstances had nothing to do with the scheme and never were owed any money by Standard Bank, or, who in some instances did not have any accounts with the bank, or who were not entitled to any payments whatsoever from the bank,” he stated.
In doing so, he used the user ID numbers of colleagues and on several occasions his own in defrauding the bank.
The accused was a team leader and was responsible for the supervision of other consultants and custodian.
“Nobody has influenced me in any manner whatsoever to plead guilty nor was I made any promises,” he stated.
He admitted that he, between the period extending from 19 January 2013 to 31 August 2015 at the bank's Gobabis branch, wrongfully, unlawfully, falsely and with the intend to defraud gave out and misrepresented to bank management that seven people, including himself, were entitled to payments from the bank's internal accounts.
Van Wyk stated the transfers were performed by the bank employees in the course and scope of their employment. More than N$1.6 million on different occasions into the bank accounts of the seven people.
He initiated a fraudulent scheme.
He admitted that he was performing his duties and responsibilities as an employee of the Standard Bank and therefore ought to have worked in the best interest of his employer.
“I admit that I, by means of the said misrepresentation, induced the bank, its management and board of directors to the actual and potential loss to believe and accept the misrepresentation, authorise the transfer of funds into the bank accounts of the seven people and allow the recipients of the monies to withdraw from their bank accounts,” Van Wyk admitted.
“The misrepresentations were false and I had no lawful right to transfer or deposit money from Standard Bank's internal account into my own account and to those other six beneficiaries,” he stated.
“I admit that I was committing the crime of fraud on each and every occasion and on each and every of the 288 counts and knew that if caught I could be arrested, charged and convicted as well as sentenced on the various counts of fraud.”
FRED GOEIEMAN
Self-confessed fraudster Mark Wayne van Wyk on Tuesday, after admitting guilt to the charges, blamed the systems at the bank in his plea explanation before Judge Naomi Shivute in the High Court in Windhoek.
Van Wyk, who was employed from 19 January 2013 to 31 August 2015 at the Gobabis branch of Standard Bank as an accounts support consultant and asset custodian, further in the plea explanation, read on his behalf by his lawyer Jan Wessels, emphasised that he was pleading guilty out of his of free will.
He admitted that he initiated the fraudulent scheme wherein he obtained bank accounts from some of his friends, relatives and acquaintances, and would fraudulently manipulate the bank's system to cause payments to be captured, deposited or transferred from the bank's internal revenue interest account into these accounts.
“These payments were going into my personal account and into the accounts of my friends, relatives and acquaintances who in all cases and circumstances had nothing to do with the scheme and never were owed any money by Standard Bank, or, who in some instances did not have any accounts with the bank, or who were not entitled to any payments whatsoever from the bank,” he stated.
In doing so, he used the user ID numbers of colleagues and on several occasions his own in defrauding the bank.
The accused was a team leader and was responsible for the supervision of other consultants and custodian.
“Nobody has influenced me in any manner whatsoever to plead guilty nor was I made any promises,” he stated.
He admitted that he, between the period extending from 19 January 2013 to 31 August 2015 at the bank's Gobabis branch, wrongfully, unlawfully, falsely and with the intend to defraud gave out and misrepresented to bank management that seven people, including himself, were entitled to payments from the bank's internal accounts.
Van Wyk stated the transfers were performed by the bank employees in the course and scope of their employment. More than N$1.6 million on different occasions into the bank accounts of the seven people.
He initiated a fraudulent scheme.
He admitted that he was performing his duties and responsibilities as an employee of the Standard Bank and therefore ought to have worked in the best interest of his employer.
“I admit that I, by means of the said misrepresentation, induced the bank, its management and board of directors to the actual and potential loss to believe and accept the misrepresentation, authorise the transfer of funds into the bank accounts of the seven people and allow the recipients of the monies to withdraw from their bank accounts,” Van Wyk admitted.
“The misrepresentations were false and I had no lawful right to transfer or deposit money from Standard Bank's internal account into my own account and to those other six beneficiaries,” he stated.
“I admit that I was committing the crime of fraud on each and every occasion and on each and every of the 288 counts and knew that if caught I could be arrested, charged and convicted as well as sentenced on the various counts of fraud.”
FRED GOEIEMAN
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